Okay, so I got my hands on this gluten free blue ribbon pie crust mix. Had it sitting in the pantry for ages, actually. Bought it on a whim thinking I’d be all fancy and bake for my neighbour who’s gluten-free. Never got around to it, typical me. Then the other day, I needed a quick crust and my regular flour stash was looking sad. So, figured it was time.
Getting Started with the Mix
Right, so I grabbed the bag. Dumped the powder into my big yellow bowl – the one I nearly dropped last Christmas, remember that fiasco? Anyway, it looked like… well, gluten-free mix. Kinda pale. Instructions were simple enough: cold butter, ice water. They really hammer home the ‘cold’ part.
I chopped up the butter, straight from the back of the fridge where things get really cold. Used my old pastry blender, the one with the slightly bent handle. Took some effort to cut it in. Felt different than regular flour, more like cutting into sand sometimes. Made my wrist ache a bit, getting old I guess.
The Dough Situation
Then the ice water. Poured it in slowly, mixing with a fork like I always do. It came together, but looked real shaggy. Not like my usual smooth dough that behaves itself. Felt fragile. I was thinking, “Is this gonna work or just crumble everywhere?” Wrapped it up in plastic wrap real tight and shoved it in the fridge. Box said an hour. Went and had a cup of tea and worried about it.
Rolling Out Shenanigans
Okay, hour’s up. Pulled the dough disc out. Rolling this thing… yeah, that was fun. It cracked like crazy. Seriously, needed constant patching. Reminded me of trying to fix that old vase I broke. Lots of gluten-free flour needed on the rolling pin and counter to stop it sticking. Finally wrestled it into the pie plate. Looked a bit rough around the edges, not gonna lie. Definitely homemade looking, not bakery perfect. But hey, who cares, right?
Pricked the bottom with a fork, lined it with foil, filled with beans – ran out of proper pie weights years ago. Popped it in the oven. House started smelling pretty decent, kinda nutty. Always a good sign.
How’d It Turn Out?
Baked it till golden. Let it cool a bit. It held its shape, surprisingly well actually. Didn’t shrink much. Texture? Very crisp. Almost like a shortbread cookie base? Not flaky like my grandma’s recipe, obviously. But crisp.
The taste was… fine. Bland, but that’s what you want in a crust, lets the filling shine. It didn’t scream “gluten-free sadness” which is a plus.
- Bottom line: It worked. Made a crust.
- Handling: A bit tricky, cracks easily. Need patience.
- Taste/Texture: Crisp, neutral, not flaky. Decent for GF.
So, would I buy it again? Yeah, probably. For those times I need a gluten-free option and don’t have time to mess around with blending my own flours. It’s reliable enough, even if it gives you a bit of a workout during rolling. Better than that disaster I made last year with coconut flour, that’s for sure. That one went straight in the bin.