Rhubarb Puff Pie

About this recipe:

I came across this recipe in Gourmet magazine and remember making it a long time ago. This is such a divine little pie that I couldn't resist, even though its made with wheat and gluten, I needed to cheat just this one time.

Ingredients:

• two 9 x 6 inch sheets of puff pastry

• 2 - 3 stalks of rhubarb

• juice of half a lime

• juice of a whole orange

• squeeze of agave nectar

• peel of one orange

• little canola oil spray for greasing cookie sheet

Preheat the oven to 400F.

1. Thaw the puff pastry according to the instructions on the box.

2. Cut the rhubarb stalks in 1/8 slices, at a 45 degree angle to create thin long slices.

3. Mix the juice of half a lime, orange and agave nectar in a mixing bowl, add rhubarb to this mixture and let it soak for at least 10 minutes.

4. Arrange the rhubarb slices so that they are slightly overlapping on the puff pastry, leaving an uncovered edge on all four sides. Save the juice that they've been soaking in.

5. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until the pastries are nicely golden brown.

6. Transfer the soak juice to a small sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer for at least 15 minutes until the consistency turns into syrup.

7. Take the pastries to a cooling rack, cool for 5 minutes.

8. Brush the syrup onto the pasties and sprinkle with orange peel.

Makes 2 large pastries that can be cut to 6 pieces.

Gluten Free Berry Pie

About this recipe:

I had some left over dough from making my Dutch apple pie. I also happened to have some berries and home made sour cream. This is the result, an oozing berry love pie. Yum!

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Ingredients:

• left over dough from Dutch apple pie

• handful of blackberries and raspberries

• few scoops of home made sour cream

• arrow root flower for dusting your work surface

• 1/2 egg yolk, beaten

1. Dust your clean work surface with some arrow root powder.

2. Roll out the left over dough. Divide in two. Use one piece to create pie bottoms, the other to create the tops. Cut out some cute shapes from the top piece.

3. For the pie bottom, cut out the shape of your pie shell. I had these mini heart shaped ones.

4. Press dough in into the bottom and sides of pie shell.

5. In a small mixing bowl, mix berries and sour cream, drop into pie shell.

6. Put a little egg yolk on the edge of the bottom crust, this will glue on the top.

7. Place the tops on, pressing the edge to close. Cut off excess dough.

8. Brush top with egg yolk.

9. Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes.

Gluten Free Dutch Apple Pie

About this recipe:

The secret to a good Dutch apple pie is to use sour apples and not add to much other sweetness. There's a reason why they named those super sour apples 'granny smith's'. Its because my Dutch granny always had the best apple pie! 

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Ingredients:

• 7 granny smith sour apples, skinned

• 1 T. cinnamon

• 1 T. pumpkin pie spice

• 1/4 t. cloves

• peel of  two organic lemons

• 1/2 T. glycerine based vanilla extract

• squeeze of agave nectar

For the crust:

• 2 c. gluten free flour, I used 1 cup of brown rice and 1 cup of sorghum flour

• 1/3 c. arrow root

• 1/3 soy flour

• 1 t. xanthan gum

• 1.5 t. baking powder

• 1 t. salt

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/3 c. cold water

• 1/4 c. butter, cubed

• 1/3 c. sugar substitute, I used Erythritol

• squeeze of agave nectar

• 1 egg yolk, beaten

1. Sift all flours, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add beaten egg, cold water, agave nectar and butter. Knead with your hands until you get a nice consistency.

3. Cut each skinned apple in 4 quarters. Slice each quarter into 6 to 8 slices - lengthwise.  Cut all slices in half. Toss in large mixing bowl.

4. Add spices, squeeze of agave, vanilla and lemon peel. Mix well.

5. Take 2/3 of dough, press on bottom and sides of a 9 inch spring form pan. If the dough is too sticky, dust your hands with arrow root powder.

6. Add all of the apple mixture into the pan, flatten out with your fingers or spoon.

7. Sprinkle a little arrow root powder on a clean surface. Drop other 1/3 of dough and roll out.

Cut into strips and use to decorate the top of the pie. Brush with egg yolk.

8. Bake on 350F for 30 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven to cool. Serve after ten minutes.

RAW Coconut Cream Pie

About this recipe:

The best coconut cream pie I've ever had was at Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco. Good thing they published the recipe in their cookbook. I made little mini cupcake versions so they are easy to bring to dinner parties or snack on by yourself. For the candida diet its best to replace the date paste for sugar substitute and take it easy with the agave nectar.

Ingredients filling:

1/2 c. coconut milk

1/4 c. fresh coconut meat

1/2 c. raw coconut butter

1/4 c. date paste (soak pitted dates for one hour, drain, blend, add a little soak water and blend into a smooth paste)

pinch of salt

1/2 t. vanilla

1 t. lecithin

dried coconut flakes for decoration

1. Blend coconut milk, meat, dates, vanilla and salt until smooth.

2. Add lecithin and coco butter and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Crust:

1/2 c. almonds, finely chopped

1/2 c. fine almond flour

1 T. date paste

1/4 c. agave nectar

1/2 c. coconut butter, crumbled

3. Blend all ingredients for the crust in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.

4. Take a 12 cup mini muffin pan and drop mixture in with a spoon. Compress by pushing down with the back of your spoon.

5. Drop the filling on top of the crusts. Sprinkle with dried coconut flakes.

6. Refrigerate for at least one hour to harden it.

7. They are kept best in the fridge until consumption. You can also freeze them for longer time.