What is Chebe?

Chebe uses tapioca (manioc) starch as the base for their grain free mixes. Made from the cassava root, tapioca flour is “the starch extracted from the cassava root through a process of washing and pulping.” Cassava flour, on the other hand, is the complete root, ground up and turned into flour. (Learn this and more from 5 Things You Need to Know About Cassava Flour by Downshiftology.)

Chebe cinnamon roll mix contains just 6 ingredients. “Tapioca Flour, cane sugar, modified tapioca starch, iodine-free sea salt, and cinnamon.” You can use it to make Cinnamon Rolls, obviously. However, you can also this mix to make my Mini Apple Cheesecakes or these Gluten Free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies from Savory Celiac.

What is a Slab Pie?

Well, basically it’s as it sounds. It’s flat slab instead of round. Why make pie in a sheet pan? It’s easier to store and to cut. Everyone is going to want a piece of this grain free pumpkin slab pie, and I want to be as fair in my slices as possible. Plus, it cooks faster, in half the time as a regular pie.

In truth, you can easily transform any regular pie into a slab pie. I followed quite a few of these tips from King Arthur Flour to do so. However, their guidelines use a half sheet pan. I’m using my (favorite) quarter sheet pan I bought at Gordon Food Center. (I use them for EVERYTHING!) Therefore, I cut their recommendations in half.

Pan Size  – Jelly Roll Vs Sheet Pan

Let’s go back to those pans for a second. There are many recipes for making pumpkin slab pies. Many utilize a jelly roll pan, which has different dimensions than a quarter sheet pan. Many bakers use a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan. However I prefer these quarter sheet pans, which measure approx. 9 in by 13 in. (Half sheet pans are 18 in x 13 in.)

Living in a two person household, I find myself using this quarter sheet pan to make all sorts of “smaller” items. For instance, I cut What the Fork’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake recipe in half, baked it in this, and it turned out PERFECT! These pans are also great for smaller homemade pizzas, and I use them for breading chicken.

Tips for Making the Custard for this Slab Pie

I read one tip that I think made this Grain Free Pumpkin Slab Pie go from “sweet” to “stellar.” I prepared the custard base ahead of time and let it refrigerate an hour or two. It’s not absolutely necessary, but it helps the pumpkin absorb the sugar and spices.

Another tip on adding the custard to the crust. King Arthur also recommends placing the sheet pan, with crust inside, on the oven rack. THEN pour in the custard. This is because the filling can be a bit runny, and having the pan on a stable shelf prevents spilling it on the way to the oven. People be smart.

Thanksgiving and Other Gluten Free Slab Pie Recipes

This Grain Free Pumpkin Slab Pie tastes great with or without whip cream. Of course, it’s the perfect dessert for any Thanksgiving gathering. If this is your first time preparing / hosting this holiday, check out my A-Z tips for a Gluten Free Thanksgiving. And keep those leftovers handy for Waffled Stuffing and Chebe Thanksgiving Pasties!

Now that I’ve introduced you to this grain free Pumpkin Slab Pie, try some other sheet pan pies. For those avoiding eggs & dairy, this Gluten Free Vegan Triple Berry Slab Pie from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free sounds amazing. And since pop tarts are basically just hand held pies, this Giant Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart from A Dash of Megnut should be on your baking list!

Recipe Adjustments

Can I Make this as a Regular Round Pie?

You sure can! Simply roll the crust into a circle and place in a regular 9″ round pie pan. Make sure to press the dough up the sides of the pan. I highly recommend chilling any pie crust prior to baking, as it prevents it from shrinking in the oven. Check out my post on using Chebe to make pie crust, for more recommendations.

I Don’t Eat Dairy and/or Eggs. How Can I Adapt This Recipe?

For those who avoid dairy, you can attempt using dairy free butter or shortening in the crust. For those who eat egg-free, I would recommend trying Sarah Bakes Gluten Free’s Vegan Pumpkin Pie.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe

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Grain Free Pumpkin Slab Pie

Equipment

• Chebe – Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll-Ups Mix – 7.5 oz.(pack of 2)
• Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin, 15oz Can ( Pack of 5 )
• Organic Cane Sugar Crystals (5lb) –

Ingredients

For the filling (From Libby’s website)

• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
• 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the crust

• 1 pkg Chebe Cinnamon Roll Mix
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp cold butter cut into chunks
• 4 tbsp ice cold water

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine ingredients for the filling (sugar, spices, salt, eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk), and whisk until completely combined. Cover bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for one to two hours. 
• Meanwhile, prepare the crust. Add the Chebe Cinnamon Roll mix to a food processor, along with the oil and egg. Use a fork to quickly mix them together. (This prevents loose powder from flying all over the processor!) 
• To that, add the cold butter. Pulse until a dry sand texture develops. This should take 6-7 pulses. 
• Slowly add the ice cold water to the processor, one tablespoon at a time. Process until a ball of dough forms. 
• My dough ball weighed approximately 14 ounces. I separated it into a 10 oz portion for the crust, and a 4 oz portion for the leaf cutouts. (If you don't have a scale, use 2/3 of the dough for the crust, and 1/3 of the dough for the cutouts.)
• Lightly flour a work surface with grain free flour or tapioca starch. Roll the large portion of dough into a large rectangle, approximately 11 by 15 inches. (Reynolds parchment paper is marked with 2 inch squares, which is helpful for this.)
• Transfer crust to an ungreased quarter sheet pan. Use your fingers to press into place, making sure dough forms up the sides of the pan. 
• Place pan in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes for crust to chill. Doing so prevents the crust from shrinking as it bakes. 
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Once oven is preheated, removed crust and filling from the refrigerator. Pour approximately half of the pie filling into the prepared crust. 
• Open the oven, and slide out the bottom baking rack, positioned in the middle of the oven. Place partially filled pie on rack. Pour the remaining portion of the filling into the pan, push in baking rack, and close oven door. (I did it this way as to prevent the filling from spilling while transferring from the counter to the oven. You may also want to place a cookie sheet on the bottom baking rack to prevent spills in the oven, should your pie filling bake over the pan.) 
• Bake the pie at 425 for 10 minutes. Then, immediately turn the temperature down to 350, and continue to bake for another 20 minutes. Bake until the outer edges of the slab pie are set, and the center is ever so slightly jiggly. 
• Remove pan from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. (After mine cooled I placed it in the refrigerator for several hours.) 
• While the pie is cooling, work on your leaf cutouts, if you choose to do them. Roll the remaining 4 ounces of dough into a thin layer. I used pie crust cutters to make the leaves. Press down gently on the plunger to make the inner leaf indentations. Even though I planned to cut the pie into 12 portions, my remaining dough made more than 12 cutouts. They make great "graham cracker" shapes for later snacking! 
• Transfer raw cutouts to a lined cookie sheet. Spray them with oil, and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove immediately and allow to cool. 
• When ready to serve the pumpkin slab pie, cut into equal portions and adorn each piece with a leaf cutout. Add whip cream if desired, but I would add whip cream first and then top it with a leaf cutout. 

**Chebe sponsored this post by compensating me for my time and energy. This post does contain affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

Originally published October 2019

The post Grain Free Pumpkin Slab Pie appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

How to “Halve” an Egg

Every recipe I see for a pumpkin roll recipe, it calls for a large sheet pan. However, I prefer small batch recipes. One, smaller pans fit better in my little kitchen. In addition, smaller portions fit better into my diet. 🙂 Therefore, I reduced a regular recipe to fit in my quarter sheet pan. (It works great for a gluten free pumpkin slab pie, too!)

Most regular recipes call for 3 eggs. How does one “halve” an egg? Many people say to whisk the egg, and divide it in half. However, the base for this small batch gluten free pumpkin roll is a thin sponge cake. Since sponge cakes generally have a light texture, I used one egg and one egg white. This provides the binding we need, while still being whipped to create lift.  Check out this article from The Kitchn for other ways to halve an egg.

Pan Size and Shape is Important

For this gluten free pumpkin cake roll, I use my favorite quarter sheet pans. Many utilize a jelly roll pan, which has different dimensions than a quarter sheet pan. Many bakers use a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan. However I prefer these quarter sheet pans, which measure approx. 9 in by 13 in. (Half sheet pans are 18 in x 13 in.) A sheet pan has straight edges, which is preferable to a 9 x 13 cake pan. However, if you don’t have a quarter sheet pan, you may be able to use a cake pan.

How to Shape A Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll

The sponge cake for this cake roll bakes quickly. No more than 15 minutes. The beauty of a cake roll lies in the swirl. To achieve this, one must roll the cake in a towel while it is still warm. This allows it to cool in our preferred shape. Another important step is to generously coat the towel in powdered sugar, prior to rolling.

A few tips on choosing a towel for rolling. One, choose a towel you don’t mind getting stained. Most assuredly, there will be some orange tinting when it’s done. In addition, many suggest using a linen towel because it is absorbent. I bought flour sacks cloths from Bed Bath and Beyond for this. I advise against using cotton towels with fibers that could get stuck in the cake or leave an imprint in the cake.

What if My Pumpkin Cake Roll Cracks?

Now we wait. Some people recommend allowing the cake to cool for at least an hour. I allowed mine to cool overnight, as I was busy. If you plan to make this the same day you plan to serve it, make sure to start 4-5 hours before you plan to serve it. This allows time for baking, cooling, filling, and chilling.

Part of the goal in rolling the cake while still warm is to prevent cracks. Sometimes, cracks are inevitable. Remember I said you need to dust the towel with powdered sugar? I dusted mine a lot, which left a beautiful dusting on the outside of the gluten free pumpkin roll. Cracks? What cracks? They’re all hidden in powdered sugar! (If you really wanted to go above and beyond, you could coat the outside of the cake in more frosting.)

My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

I adapted the recipe for this small batch gluten free pumpkin roll from my friend Linda Fedewa, and her Bake it Best cookbook. (I share how to order one in my jam-filled hand pie recipe.) She tints her cream cheese filling with just a touch of nutmeg. Let me tell you, it tastes like perfection! If you don’t feel confident in making this small batch gluten free pumpkin roll for yourself, Rumi’s Passion and No More Belly Aching sell them this time of year.

If this is your first gluten free Thanksgiving, you may want to consult my post on A-Z tips for a successful holiday. Missing stuffing? I can eat my favorite gluten free cornbread stuffing any time of year! And save room for leftovers! My favorite use for leftover mashed potatoes is this grain free quiche. Perfect to make ahead and have for breakfast before Black Friday Shopping!

Other Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes You May Find Helpful

Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner for Two from Imagelicious (Sub GF croutons)

20 Gluten Free Thanksgiving Appetizers and Side Dishes from Iowa Girl Eats

30 Recipes for a Gluten Free Thanksgiving from A Dash of Megnut

40 Vegan and Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes from The Pretty Bee

Print

Small Batch Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll

Equipment

• Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour, 3 Pounds
• Nordic Ware Quarter Sheet, Natural, 2 count (Pack of 1)
• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield KSM150PS, Matte Black

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 egg and 1 egg white
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 c pumpkin puree not pie filling
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 6 tbsp gluten free flour I used Cup for Cup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• pinch of nutmeg

For the Filling

• 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
• 3 tbsp butter room temperature
• 1/2 c powdered sugar sifted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of nutmeg
• *additional powdered sugar for rolling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line quarter sheet pan with parchment paper, making sure paper extends over the side. This makes it easier to lift the cake from the pan, when finished.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and spices. Set aside. 
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine egg, egg white, and sugar. Mix on high for 5 minutes. This may seem like a long time, but we want the eggs to be aerated to help make a lighter cake. It should be a pale yellow color. 
• Whisk in the pumpkin and lemon juice.
• After egg and pumpkin mixture is whipped, turn off mixer and fold the dry ingredients into the egg and sugar mixture. Folding in the flour prevents deflating the eggs we just whipped. This may take a few minutes to incorporate all the flour. 
• Spread batter into lined quarter sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. 
• While cake is baking, heavily dust a tea towel with powdered sugar. Make sure the towel you choose is larger than the cake pan. 
• Once cake is done baking, remove from oven and allow to set for 2-3 minutes. No longer than that. Then, invert onto dusted tea towel. Gently pull up parchment paper from the cake, and dust bottom of cake with powdered sugar. 
• Beginning at the short end of the cake, roll the cake with the towel inside it. The towel prevents the cake from sticking to itself, and the powdered sugar prevents the cake from sticking to the towel. 
• Allow the cake to cool for one hour or longer. Meanwhile, set out cream cheese and butter, so they will be at room temperature when you are ready to fill the pumpkin roll. 
• After cake has cooled, prepare the frosting. Start by whipping the room temperature cream cheese and butter at least 2 minutes. We want it to be creamy. Then, add vanilla and nutmeg. Finally, slowly add sifted powdered sugar. (Make sure it is sifted, or you'll have clumps in your frosting.) 
• Gently unroll cooled cake and spread frosting the length of the cake. 
• Once filled, gently reroll cake. (No towel inside this time!) Roll the filled cake starting with the same side you rolled for cooling the cake. 
• Place the rolled cake in the fridge and allow to chill 2-3 hours prior to serving. 
• Dust with additional powdered sugar, if desired.

Originally Published October 25, 2019

The post Small Batch Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.