GF pastry - it CAN be done!

...but only with a mix of butter and shortening, according to my several failed attempts. Not so healthy.

You know me - not the biggest sweettooth. So, these little crusties are getting filled with cheese and egg. Oh so delicious. And look how well-behaved they are! All staying intact, folding into the cupcake tin, flexible and buttery and ready to go. Awesome.

They even brown up well, almost regular pastry-like. And they're flaky and light. Success!!


Gluten Free Pie Pastry for Quiche, etc.

1 cup GF all-purpose flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons cold butter, chopped
1 tsp xantham gum
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Dash sugar
1.5 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4-1/2 cup milk or water

The process is identical to regular pastry. Process the dry ingredients in a food processor, add your shortening and butter, and pulse 3-4 times, quickly, just until the mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs. Then add your egg and 1/4 cup milk - pulse until the dough balls up. Add additional milk as needed to make the dough gather.

You MUST chill this dough for at least an hour before using it - or you can even freeze it at this point. Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes and then the fridge for the last 15.

Dust a cutting board or large surface and rolling pin with GF all-purpose flour and go at it - either roll a large pie crust out, or make mini-crusts as I did (I cut them out using a 2 inch biscuit cutter). Carefully move the dough to a greased pie plate or cupcake pan (I used vegetable oil to grease) and fill as desired. If you're doing a fruit pie, pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes at 425 before proceeding.

I cheated on a couple of the quiches and just grabbed a ball of dough and pressed it into the tin to make a crust - no rolling. And even THOSE came out well. So this, thankfully, is a non-cranky dough. Yay.

Anyways! If you're making quiche:

6 eggs
1/2 cup cream or milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Put about a tablespoon of cheese into each crust. Mix your egg, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl with a spout. Carefully fill each crust to just below the top of the crust. Bake in a 375f oven for 20 minutes, until each quiche is puffy in the middle. Remove them from the pan to cool - slide a butter knife around the side of each mini-quiche and they should pop out easy-peasy.

Makes 12 cupcake-sized quiches. Enjoy!