Gluten Free Pillsbury Pie Crust

The one thing about having Celiac disease is that you eat "differently." Social gatherings can be a bit more difficult. It includes reading labels and asking lots of questions. Sometimes it can be a drag and a bit disappointing.



I always try to be a good sport when it comes to church potlucks. I always go and make sure to prepare something that I (and my husband) can eat. But after one potluck in which I purposely waited to enter the buffet line,  it hit me that the majority of the people in my church don't have the same issue that I do. They don't have to know which brand foods are made with or worry about hidden ingredients. And I almost never get to have a dessert, except for the M&M's that one lady brings religiously to every potluck. (This makes me thankful for my celiac support group meetings!)

I was determined to have a different outcome for our Harvest Dinner. At a meal where fresh apple and pumpkin pies are abundant, I was determined to make a gluten free pie. This, although, is no easy task. Traditionally it is the natural gluten in wheat flour that helps your perfectly rolled out pie crust stay together and not break.


And this is where the Pillsbury Pie Crust dough comes in. I've heard mixed reviews on the internet, so was unsure about purchasing it. I thought it was worth trying at least once, plus I had a coupon for it as well. I had read some reviews about how the crust stuck to the wax paper and was a sticky mess, so I made sure to flour both the wax paper and the top of the pie crust dough. I also made sure to work with the dough while it was REALLY cold. This made a drastic difference

It rolled out really well while doing the bottom crust. I will have to admit that it didn't flip over easily into the pie pan, and I had to do some touch-ups to make it work. I followed the apple pie recipe on Pillsbury's website (for their regular pie) and then quickly rolled my top crust. This held together pretty well and laid nicely on top of the apples. I tried to "close" the pie with using fork marks all the way around the edge. By this time the crust had become slightly warmer, so it was a bit sticky.

I placed it in the oven at 425 degrees as stated on the tub of dough. I thought this was slightly high, but was reassured by my step-mother that this is a normal temperature for baking a pie. I was supposed to place foil on the edges after 15 minutes of baking to prevent scorching the edges of the crust....I forgot. When I pulled it out of the oven it was well baked, and well done around the edges. (My step-mother mentioned when she recently made an apple pie, it suggested covering the whole pie after the first 15 minutes.)


I was immediately concerned as the pie crust seemed incredibly hard when I pulled it out of the oven. I had read elsewhere on the internet that others stated you could not cut into it. I had made this pie the night before the potluck, and just let it sit on the counter overnight.

When it came time to cut the pie the next day for the potluck, I was a bit trepidatious. I purposely cut the pie at home so as to prevent cross-contamination form other pies being cut with same knife. I even brought my own serving utensil, which I informed the kitchen staff was NOT to be shared on another pie.

I took the first slice, and took the first bite. It was REALLY good! The filling was perfectly gelled, and the crust was not soggy. The crust wasn't overly tough either. I think letting it set overnight made a huge difference. One of the men working in the kitchen  had a piece and enjoyed it, even after having his wife tell them that we wouldn't like because it was gluten free.

I had also saved some of the extra pie crust from trimming the edges and placed them in a ramekin and made a mini pumpkin pie (as I made a non-gf one for the potluck as well) and baked that in the oven. When that came out, the crust was very dark and hard to eat, and my husband felt that it tasted salty.
   
                            
 

Final verdict- I would be willing to buy this again if I was making a fruit pie that required a top and bottom crust. I think allowing the pie to cool and set helps the texture and taste of the final product. I would NOT use it again for a pumpkin or cream pie.

Update: The pie crust was on sale at Kroger (actually, on clearance) so I bought it to make pas0ties. If you're not from Michigan or the upper Midwest, you may have never heard of  a pasty. Wikipedia has a pretty good explanation here. Pasties are the original "Hot Pocket." I made mine with beef stew meat, potatoes, onions, and celery. I also pre-cooked the veggies in a little bit of water mixed with Better Than Bouillon soup base. It really adds a lot of flavor.It is traditional to put rutabagas in them, but I forgot to buy one.








It was flaky and crusty, but still very dense. Actually, I think my husband enjoyed it more than I did. He said it probably would have been better if the crust had been thinner, but this dough falls apart so easily that I don't know if this is possible. He said it actually tasted more like a beef potpie....

I baked them in the oven at 400 ( I think) and I basically followed this recipe.They might be worth making again...not sure. 

Have you ever made pasties? If so, how do you make them? 

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