Couldn't Tolerate My Cherry Pie

[mushroom]

As I stated in my previous post, buckwheat and teff are the ones I'd reach for first, if bean flours are out. Although, if the definition of "legume" doesn't include peas, then I'd use yellow pea flour, probably blended with buckwheat and/or teff.

Yes, unfortunately it includes peas as well. I use buckwheat quite a bit but it is high in lectins too (like the legumes), so I don't want to overdo it, and although I have teff (dark, not ivory) I've only used it once. I put it in some pancake batter and it seemed to suck up liquid like crazy - it was like putting sand in (and I only put in about 1/4 cup). So I haven't used it since because it is a puzzlement to me. I use sorghum a lot, can't do quinoa, that darned near killed me, am getting scared of trying new things to be honest. So soy, potato, bean and pea flours, and quinoa are out. My main blends consist of sorghum, brown rice, and some other starch like tapioca. But none of them will make a decent pie crust Help! I can use butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, even a non-dairy non-soy spread here called Olivani made from olive oil......

[RiceGuy]

I'm definitely interested in your piecrust recipe, RiceGuy; this is me coaxing you (coax, coax) Any ideas of traditional this or that went out the window with the wheat flour. I come from a family of perfectionistic pie makers. My father and brother are both scientists, and approach pie-making like they're discovering a new gene. Me, I like to make them, but really, I love to eat them! Chicken pot pie, meat pie, pumpkin pie, cherry pie.....put a crust on it and I'm happy. I've never been a big bread eater; cakes and cookies, cupcakes and noodles, all of these I can give up without a tear. But pie.....gotta have it in my life. So whether I'm sculpting it into the pan or rolling a sticky mess, I'm willing to tackle whatever it is to make it happen. And I have a fairly adventurous palate, so I'm interested in whatever flavors different bean flours might impart to a recipe.

Thank you, by the way, for that terrific breakdown on the different flours. I'll probably do more baking when I'm further down the healing road, so that is going to be very handy. In the meantime, I would really really love to see your piecrust recipe!

LOL. I'm nearly there with respect to pies, although breads also have a permanent place in my diet. But I also bake without dairy, eggs, sugar, and a few other things, so I'm always exploring new ideas. I do so enjoy the adventure, and try to approach cooking and baking in a scientific way. I like to say that food is edible chemistry.

OK, you've coaxed me into it. Here's the basic recipe and method I use for pie crust. I seldom measure anything over a teaspoon, so the amounts should be taken as approximates.

A blend I find works well is three parts fava flour and one part buckwheat flour. A 2:1 ratio also works well. I start by putting about 1/4 cup of water in the mixing bowl, and adding around one or two tsp lecithin granules. The exact amount depends on the flours and your preference. More lecithin will make the crust more brittle. Let it sit for 6-10 minutes to dissolve. Then add about one Tbsp or so vegetable oil. The exact about will be a matter of preference, as well as determined by the blend of flours. Too much oil will make the dough more difficult to spread, and result in a rather crumbly texture. I've not found it necessary to mix the oil in before adding the flour, but it doesn't hurt either. Then add about one cup of the flour blend, and a sprinkle or two of ground ginger (maybe 1/4 tsp, or to taste). Start mixing, and add small amounts of water, mixing as you go, until it holds together as a dough. It will probably end up taking around 1/2 the volume of water as flour, but I never measure. I generally find that the right consistency is reached at around the point where the dough no longer glistens from the oil, and where it has begun to get sticky enough to cling to the pan. Otherwise it can be a fight to get it spread right. It is always somewhat stretchy too, which is what I look for to know it'll work out. There seems to be a "tipping-point" with respect to the amount of water, where the consistency changes noticeably from oily to sticky/stretchy. Transfer the blob of dough to the dry pie pan, and spread it like caulk or tile grout. If it can't spread without breaking up, or if it won't cling to the pan, then it needs a bit more water. Once spread, I bake it for around 18-20 minutes at about 350°F, or until slightly golden. The middle usually cracks a bit, near the end of baking.

I use pyrex for all my baking, so I don't know if any changes would help when using other types of pans. The clear glass really makes it easy to see that the dough is evenly spread. No oil or cooking spray is required on the pan, as the crust doesn't stick much once baked.

To sweeten it, I recommend about 1/2 tsp pure Stevia extract powder. If using Stevia, I'd also suggest 1/4 tsp or so salt. Using sugar seems to cause the crust to stick to the pan.

I suppose egg yokes might work in place of the lecithin, but have not tried. I can only guess how many it may take - perhaps 2-4.

That's about it! Let me know how it turns out, or if you need more info.

[RiceGuy]

Yes, unfortunately it includes peas as well. I use buckwheat quite a bit but it is high in lectins too (like the legumes), so I don't want to overdo it, and although I have teff (dark, not ivory) I've only used it once. I put it in some pancake batter and it seemed to suck up liquid like crazy - it was like putting sand in (and I only put in about 1/4 cup). So I haven't used it since because it is a puzzlement to me. I use sorghum a lot, can't do quinoa, that darned near killed me, am getting scared of trying new things to be honest. So soy, potato, bean and pea flours, and quinoa are out. My main blends consist of sorghum, brown rice, and some other starch like tapioca. But none of them will make a decent pie crust Help! I can use butter, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, even a non-dairy non-soy spread here called Olivani made from olive oil......

I've used the brown teff too, but prefer the ivory. However, either might work alone for pie crust. I don't think I've tried 100% teff for a crust, but I did run into a blog entry someplace with a teff crust recipe. If you can blend it with buckwheat, that might work better.

As for quinoa, I've read it is high in saponins, which gives it the characteristic bitterness. Perhaps that's what you reacted to? You might want to look into Kaniwa, which is a relative of quinoa, high in protein, but doesn't contain the saponins.

Another option might be nut meals. They can produce a good crust, I think. Though it has been a while since I tried using a lot of nut meal in a crust, blending in some sorghum flour to hold it together should help.

[mushroom]

I've used the brown teff too, but prefer the ivory. However, either might work alone for pie crust. I don't think I've tried 100% teff for a crust, but I did run into a blog entry someplace with a teff crust recipe. If you can blend it with buckwheat, that might work better.

As for quinoa, I've read it is high in saponins, which gives it the characteristic bitterness. Perhaps that's what you reacted to? You might want to look into Kaniwa, which is a relative of quinoa, high in protein, but doesn't contain the saponins.

Another option might be nut meals. They can produce a good crust, I think. Though it has been a while since I tried using a lot of nut meal in a crust, blending in some sorghum flour to hold it together should help.

Thanks, RiceGuy. I will look for the ivory teff when I get stateside. Forget ever trying to find it here . I guess I will have to be more like you and play the experimental chemist to get a pie crust A little bit of this and a little bit of that. I have never been a pie crust maker in previous incarnations, so I don't have a good knowledge base to start from. This can be a good thing, and a bad thing