Gluten Free Mixed Berry Pie Food

GLUTEN FREE MIXED BERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425º F.
• Add your dry pie crust ingredients to a bowl. Whisk to blend them. Add in your cold butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dough. You can also use a food processor to do this, but be careful if you use it to not over grind in your butter. You want your mixture to resemble crumbs.
• Pour in the wet ingredients and mix to form a dough. I know it is messy, but I do this step by hand to really mix it in. Mixing with a spoon can be misleading because the dough looks dry. Mixing with your hands incorporates the moisture better.
• Place half of the dough on a piece of wax paper dusted with a little gluten free flour. Cover with another piece of wax paper and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Remove the top piece of wax paper and place the dough side down over a greased pie tin. Peel off the remaining wax paper.
• Press the dough into the pie tin and using fingers on both hands, pinch the dough around the edges.
• Add your washed berries to a large bowl. Be sure to pat them dry gently to remove extra moisture.
• In a small bowl, add the sugar and tapioca starch. Mix well.
• Pour the sugar starch mix over the fruit and mix well to coat all of the berries. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the fruit and mix.
• Gently pour the fruit into the bottom crust. Spread it out so that it is evenly placed.
• Roll out the remaining pie crust dough on wax paper. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness. From here you can place it over your pie completely, or, use cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the dough.
• If you are using the crust whole, be sure to poke a few holes in the top of the crust for steam to vent out. If you are using shapes as I did, you can choose how much of your pie to cover.
• Brush egg wash over the top of the pie crust.
• Cover the pie with foil and bake the pie for 10 minutes at 425º F. Reduce the baking temperature to 375º F, remove the foil, and bake for 35 additional minutes.

MIXED BERRY MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275F, and prepare a 9" round pie pan by lightly greasing the bottom of the pan.
• Prepare the meringue crust first by combining the egg whites and cream of tartar in a small mixer bowl. Beat the ingredients at high speed until it foams.
• Add sugar gradually, while continuing to beat. Watch for the mixture to turn glossy and stiff peaks to form, in about 3-4 minutes, and stop.
• Spread meringue around bottom and up the sides of the pie pan.
• Bake for 1 hour. When time is up, keep oven closed and turn off the heat. Keep the meringue in the oven for another 45 minutes, like this, closed with no heat.
• Allow to cool at room temperature when the 45 minutes is up.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling by combining the sour cream, powdered sugar, cream cheese, orange juice, and orange zest, and beating well. Stop as needed to scrape down the sides and continue to beat until creamy and smooth.
• When meringue crust is cool, scoop filling inside and smooth the top.
• Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Add the topping just before serving by sprinkling the berries on top of the pie (strawberries stem side down) and drizzling the top of the pie with the apple jelly.