My Father In Law’s Favorite Pie

Short Story. So, growing up, I never heard of, nor tasted, a Fruits of the Forest Pie. Not until I married my husband. My father-in-law stated he tried this pie on a trip, and it was his absolute favorite. Because it contains rhubarb, I had zero interest in making or trying it. However, my father in law passed in January of 2023, and I’m making this pie in his memory. While you can definitely make your own pie crust, I’m saving time by using Maine Pie Co. frozen gluten free pie shells. 

Where to Buy Maine Pie Co. Gluten Free Pie Shells

Based in Biddeford, Maine, The Maine Pie Co. makes certified gluten-free pies, tarts, pie shells, and “mini” pies that everyone can enjoy – whether or not they eat gluten-free. Michigan shoppers can find Maine Pie Co. pie shells at Meijer stores and “mini” pies at Fresh Thyme Markets. The Maine Pie Co. also ships nationwide.

What is in a Fruits of the Forest Pie?

As you may have guessed it, this pie contains fruit. A LOT of it. This recipe uses

• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Rhubarb, and
• Apple

Some recipes I’ve seen use blackberries. However, I find the large seeds in blackberries to be unappetizing. If you don’t mind the seeds, you’re welcome to swap blackberries for raspberries. In reality, this is a gluten free mixed berry pie. The apples are included to help provide structure. I explain that more below.

Tips On Choosing the Best Rhubarb

Despite this recipe name, rhubarb is a vegetable, and not a fruit. There are a few things to know about picking the best rhubarb for pie. You want to choose rhubarb that is thin, and sturdy. These will be more sweet, as opposed to thicker, woodier rhubarb. I don’t have a green thumb, nor rhubarb in my garden. Therefore I purchase rhubarb both at Meijer or Walmart. *Note- Rhubarb LEAVES are poisonous, so please don’t eat the leaves.

How To Prevent a Soupy Fruit Pie

I lost track how many times I attempted this pie. Maybe 6? I always struggled on how to make a pie that included all those fruit flavors, without a loose, goopy mess. I tried less sugar and more corn starch. (Ok, but not great, and very cloudy). I tried cooking all of the filling before adding it to the pie. (No structure.) I tried tapioca flour instead of cornstarch. (Too goopy.) 

After doing some more research, I took a tip from America’s Test Kitchen. They recommend cooking part of the fruit, with the sugar, in a small pan. Since King Arthur Baking listed that strawberries and raspberries need more thickener, I chose to cook those two into a reduction. Once that reduction cools, you have something akin to jam, but with a deep strawberry and raspberry flavor.  

Apple Pectin for Pie Perfection

Pectin is a soluble fiber found in plants, which helps to thicken jams and jellies. Luckily for us, apples contain lots of pectin. (So do cranberries and grapes.) While a blueberry pie may need as much as 3/4 cup of cornstarch, an apple only needs 2 tbsp. Since my past pie performance lacked structure, I decided to start as if I were making an apple pie. *Note- the reason bakers recommend using tart apples is due to their higher pectin content.* Then I added my fresh blueberries and rhubarb, and tossed all of that in cornstarch. 

Thickeners – Corn Starch vs Quick Cooking Tapioca vs Flour

There are thousands of different pie recipes, and they all use different types of thickeners. I chose to use cornstarch because 1) it’s cheaper than gluten free flour and 2) most people have it on hand. I never keep quick cooking tapioca in my home. While some sites say that you can use tapioca flour instead of pearls, others say it’s not the same. So I’m just going to stick with cornstarch. This handy Pie Thickener Chart from King Arthur Baking Company tells you how much thickening agent to use, depending on the fruit you’re using. 

How to Top a Gluten Free Fruits of the Forest Pie

Because I’m using a Maine Pie Co. frozen pie shell, I chose to do a streusel topping for my gluten free Fruits of the Forest pie. While some streusel toppings contain oats, mine does not. As a portion of the Celiac Disease community can’t tolerate oats (and neither can I), I don’t use them. If you DO want a streusel topping that contains oats, I’d recommend this one in One Lovely Life’s Triple Berry Crumble Pie. 

If you want to do a top crust, or lattice crust, you’re welcome to do that as well. Maine Pie Co. pie shells come in packages of two. You *could* thaw the second one, reroll it, and use it as a top crust. Or, you can make the gluten free pie crust found in my strawberry galette recipe. If you really want to be fancy and do a lattice crust, Simply Recipes offers a step-by step lattice top tutorial on their website. 

How to Bake a Pie Without Burning the Crust

In addition to filling failures, some of my pie attempts yielded burny crusts. Ain’t nobody want a burnt pie crust. While I have a silicone pie shield, it was not helpful. Many people recommend an aluminum pie shield. (This adjustable pie shield from Nordicware looks impressive.) Therefore, I went the old fashioned route and crimped aluminum foil around the edges of my pie, prior to baking. Worked like a charm! 

How Long Do You Bake a Fruits of the Forest Pie? 

There are a few methods for keeping your gluten free pie crust nice and flaky on the bottom. First, we’re going to place the pie on a cookie sheet, that’s preheated in the oven. Secondly, we’re going to bake the pie at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350, and bake it for 30 minutes longer. The streusel shouldn’t be overly brown. However, if you feel it’s getting too dark, you can tent it with tinfoil.  

How Long Does My Pie Have to Cool? How Do You Reheat a Pie?

All pies benefit from a resting period. Please allow this pie to cool for at least 4 hours. I find this pie works best if chilled overnight, in the fridge. I feel this pie tastes great at room temperature. However, if you like your pie slightly warmed (with ice cream!), you can reheat the whole pie in the oven. It’s recommended to reheat your oven to 350 degrees, and reheat for 15 minutes. Some recommend covering it with aluminum foil, but I dont think it’s necessary. 

Other Gluten Free Pie Recipes

If you can’t find Maine Pie Co. gluten free pie shells near you, you can order them directly from their website. Also, you can use my crust recipe from my Gluten Free Strawberry Galette to make a crust from scratch. My pie recipe does call for dairy and eggs. If you need a gluten free and vegan pie crust, try this gluten free and vegan pie crust recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen. She uses Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend. (Blue bag)

In the mood to make even more pie? Try my recipe for individual Chicken Pot Pies , or my grain free Blueberry pie. Want something smaller? Try my gluten free jam filled hand pies. For even more delicious pie recipes, check out this round up of the 20+ Gluten Free pie recipes from Mama Gourmand. What’s your favorite kind of pie? Tell me in the comments!

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Gluten Free Fruits of the Forest Pie

Ingredients

• One Maine Pie Co. Gluten Free Pie Shell

For The Cooked Compote

• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup strawberries cubed
• ½ c sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger

Further Pie Filling Ingredients

• 2 small/ medium apples peeled & sliced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1.5 cup blueberries
• 1 cup rhubarb chopped (2 thin stalks)
• ¼ c cornstarch

For The Streusel Topping

• 1 cup gluten free flour I prefer King Arthur Measure for Measure
• ½ c butter
• ½ c brown sugar

Instructions

• Remove frozen gluten free pie shell from freezer, and allow to thaw. If using homemade crust, leave pie shell in refrigerator while preparing the rest of the pie.
• Cook strawberries and raspberries in a medium pot for 5 minutes, to release juices. Then add sugar and spices. Cook 8-10 minutes more, until it thickens. Allow to completely cool.
• In a large bowl, add 1 tbsp lemon juice. Add sliced apples and coat. Add blueberries, rhubarb and cornstarch. Stir until all fruit is evenly coated in cornstarch.
• To the large bow, stir in cooled strawberry and raspberry compote with the remainder of the fruit.
• Place all the filling in the pie crust. Cover crust with tin foil or pie shield to prevent burning. Leave foil on for the entire baking time.
• To make the streusel topping, use food processor or pastry cutter to cut butter into flour. Add brown sugar. Top uncooked pie with streusel. It may seem like a lot of topping, but you're going to need it all.
• Place cookie sheet in oven, and preheat to 400°.
• Once oven has reached 400°, place pie on cookie sheet and bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Then turn down oven to 350°. and then bake for another 35 minutes.
• Remove pie from oven and allow to cool for at least 4 hours before serving.

My Favorite Pie Making Ingredients and Utensils

• Cup 4 Cup Multipurpose Flour
• Relative Foods Organic Brown Sugar (Michigan Business!)
• Totally Bamboo Rolling Pin
• OXO Pastry Cutter

This post is sponsored by Maine Pie Co. This post may also contain Amazon affiliate links. I make a small advertising commission, but it does not change the price that you pay. Thank you for supporting my blog and advocacy work!

Originally published June 2023

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Easier than pie

Years ago, pie crusts intimidated me. During my childhood, I doubt I ever saw anyone make one from scratch. My grandmother used the Pillsbury ones, that came rolled up in a box. After my Celiac Disease diagnosis, any pie I wanted needed to start with a homemade crust.

However, making a gluten free galette is easier than pie! You simply roll the dough out flat, and leave it on the parchment paper. No need to have it perfectly circular. You don’t even have to transfer it to a pie pan. You just place the filling in the center, fold up the edges, and BAM, you’re ready to go!

Fresh or Frozen Fruit?

After preparing my pie crust, I pondered on what filling to create. Being that Valentine’s Day and “all things red” were about to pop up, I settled on strawberries. However, I wondered if I could use frozen strawberries instead of fresh.

After much research, I found I could use frozen fruit! I find it to be so much cheaper this time of year. Every so often, my local Aldi offers a 2 lb bag of pre-sliced frozen strawberries. They worked perfectly for this gluten free strawberry galette. I simply weighed what I needed, placed them in a colander, and let them thaw for a few hours.

Sweet or Savory?

Most galette recipes call for a sweet, fruit filling. For example, this beautiful grain free apple galette from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen is a show stopper! However, this simple pastry easily transforms into a savory brunch or dinner delight.

You can use this crust recipe to create various savory galetttes. I have my eye on this Mushroom Goat Cheese Galette from A Beautiful Plate. I’m never one to say no to goat cheese! This Breakfast Galette filling from Some the Wiser makes a great alternative to a quiche. No heavy cream needed!

Homemade Ice Cream

Every sweet galette recipe I see calls for ice cream on top. Therefore, I made a small batch of homemade vanilla ice cream for this gluten free strawberry galette. I made it in my new Dash pint sized ice cream maker. However, it didn’t work so well.

Therefore I highly recommend my old stand by, the Cuisinart ICE-21 ice cream maker. Years ago, I won this along with David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop recipe book. This book has so many amazing recipes, you’ll want to make them all! David recommends a ratio of 2 parts cream to 1 part whole milk for vanilla ice cream.

Gluten Free Galette Recipe

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Gluten Free Strawberry Galette

Equipment

• USA Pan Half Sheet Pan, 17 1/4 x12 1/4 x1
• Dreamfarm Brizzle-Red
• Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour, 3 Pounds

Ingredients

For the (9″) pie crust

• 1 cup Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 c COLD butter cut into small chunks
• 1 egg yolk
• 2-3 tbsp ICE COLD water

For the filling

• 1.25 lb frozen fruit thawed (approx 3 cups)
• 3 tbsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg + 2 tsp water for egg wash

Instructions

• In a food processor, combine flour and salt. Next, add chunks of cold butter. Turn on processor and pulse until the butter has blended into the flour. 
• Remove lid and add egg yolk and blend. 
• Finally, add ice cold water, one tbsp at a time until dough starts to form. Remove dough from food processor, press into a disk, and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. 
• To prepare filling, prepare strawberries. If using fresh strawberries, slice and add sugar, and allow to set. The sugar should draw out the natural juices.
• If using frozen sliced strawberries, place in colander and allow to thaw for up to two hours. I do so by placing them in a colander, over a bowl. After strawberries have thawed, transfer to a bowl and then add sugar. 
• To the strawberry and sugar mixture, add pinch of salt, corn starch and vanilla. Stir mixture and set aside. 
• Remove pastry dough from refrigerator. Place on a large sheet of parchment paper, which has been sprinkled with gluten free flour. Using a rolling pin, roll into a rough 10-12 inch circle. It doesn't have to be an exact circle, and the edges can be shaggy. 
• Leaving approximately a 2" gap from the edge, place filing in the center of the pastry dough. Fold the edges of the rolled dough up over the filling, naturally creating creases as you fold. 
• In a small dish, combine egg and water, whisk with a fork, and coat the pastry edges with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with sugar. 
• Bake at 400 for 25-30 min.
• Best served warm, with ice cream or whipped cream on top. 

Have you tried your hand at making a gluten free galette? If you want to make a pie, you can use this same crust recipe to make my gluten free dutch apple pie, blueberry pie, or my jam-filled hand pies. I always use Cup 4 Cup multipurpose flour for my pastry and yeasted dough baked goods. It does contain milk powder.

**This post is not sponsored. However, it 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!**

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Lost Your Mojo? This Will Fix It

It’s been a long summer. Actually, it’s been a long six weeks. Between last minute home improvements, immediate car replacements and two weeks of hard core volunteering, I’ve lost a bit of my mojo. I think this single serve gluten-free cheesecake is going to help return it, though. I’d almost bet it will help renew your mood too!

Earlier this summer, I made some smashingly awesome S’mores bars. Like, “one of the best things I’ve ever tasted” good. I made them with my last bag of (prepared) GF Jules Graham Cracker Mix. It did result in my having loads of leftover graham crackers. So, I needed to find a use for them! Enter, this Just One Serving NY Style Cheesecake from Heather Maclean Cooks.

Roasted Strawberries  – The Fruit You Didn’t Know You Needed

Trying this single serve gluten-free cheesecake also allowed me to attempt another “recipe” I’ve been wanting to try. Roasted Strawberries. I first heard Kendra, a.k.a. Drizzle Kitchen, talk about them on her Instagram Stories. So I just had to try Simply Recipe’s Vanilla Roasted Strawberries to add to this cheesecake.

Well, now it’s my turn to roast these beautiful berries. Can I just say “wow”? The aroma as these roast? It’s the ultimate smell of summer! Imagine fresh, homemade strawberry jam, but solid so you can pick it up with your fingers. AMAZING! They are the PERFECT topping for this single serve gluten-free cheesecake.

Cheesecake Gets a Gluten Free Makeover

So in true “me” fashion, I made some changes to Heather’s original recipe. First, the obvious. Use gluten-free graham crackers. Next, I used Neufchatel Cheese, regular cream cheese’s low-fat cousin. Lastly, I used non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Why? Because it’s all I had in the house, and I’m too pooped to putt right now. Added bonus? It’s lower in fat! Other than that, I followed her recipe to the T, making them in my favorite Wilton Mini Spring Form pans. (I use the ALL time time. Seriously, you should order them. Here they are on Amazon!)

Some Assembly, and Patience, Required

Now, this single serve gluten-free cheesecake is not “instant.” You still have to bake it for thirty minutes. You still have to chill it afterward for at least an hour. So, use the time to take a nap or read a book. Or if you just don’t know how to say “no” like me, go to a meeting to set up another event for a non-profit.

I’m tellin’ ya though, the wait is totally worth it. This single serve gluten-free cheesecake is not overly sweet, which I really liked. I drizzled it with a bit of my dairy-free chocolate sauce, and topped them with those berries. Doesn’t it look breathtaking?

Sharing is Optional

Confession. Even though this recipe is called “Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake,” I shared it with my husband. This single serve gluten-free cheesecake really is big enough to satisfy your own sweet tooth and the one you love. If you want to share. You don’t have to. Like me, you can use this time to practice saying “no.”  xoxo

*Note – This recipe can also be made using my homemade gluten free graham cracker recipe. If your heart yearns for grain free cheesecake, check out my mini apple cheesecake bites. Need this to be dairy free? This Gluten Free Vegan Berry Cheesecake from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free are a showstopper!

Gluten Free Cheesecake for One Recipe

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Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. gluten free graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 4 oz. Neufchatel cheese softened
• 1 1/2 tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract I prefer LorAnn Oils
• 3 tbsp beaten egg 1 whole egg contains 4 tbsp

Instructions

• Heat oven to 325. Ever so lightly grease a 4 1/2 inch springform pans.
• If not already crushed, crush graham crackers into crumbs. (It helps relieve lots of tension!)
• In a small-ish glass bowl, melt one tbsp of butter. Once melted, mix in graham cracker crumbs and ONE tablespoon of sugar. Mix thoroughly and press into bottom of pan.
• To avoid dirtying all the dishes in the house, rinse out the bowl. Now you can reuse it for the next step!
• In bowl, combine Neufchatel cheese, yogurt, the remaining TWO tablespoons of sugar and vanilla extract. Whip it, whip it good. Until there are no lumps. Then gently fold in the beaten egg. Heather says this will prevent the top of your cheesecake from cracking. Mine didn't crack, so she must be right!
• Pour batter over crust mixture. Place springform pan on top of a cookie sheet, and bake your single serve gluten-free cheesecake for 30-35 minutes. I highly suggest using a cookie sheet underneath, because the cheesecake mixture might weep a bit. At least mine did.
• Once the cheesecake is done baking, remove it from the oven. Immediately run a knife around the edge to prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan as it cools. (I did not do this. Mine stuck to the side. Bad Margaret.) Cool on rack until it reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Then, refrigerate for one to two hours.
• Top in whichever way you prefer and ENJOY!

**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 August 2017

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