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Mar 4 2013

Oat-Almond Pie Crust

Posted by Natalie | Perry's Plate in Baking, Step-by-Step Recipes

If I asked you what you disliked about making pie crust, I bet I could guess the top two answers: cutting the butter into the flour and rolling out the dough.

I’m right, huh? That’s how I feel, too, which is why I love this recipe so much. The cutting part is much easier (you’ll see why), and you don’t have to roll it out!

This pie crust also works with sweet or savory fillings, and if you use gluten-free oats, the crust is completely gluten-free!

This ingenious recipe comes from TK member Katy (girlgonecountry) who blogs at The Suburban Girl Gone Country.

Just a handful of ingredients are needed: almond meal/flour, butter, salt, and oat flour. Katy also used a bit of maple syrup, but I left it out because I was using the crust for a quiche and didn’t want the extra sweetness.

Where do you get oat flour? Well, if you have rolled oats and either a powerful blender, food processor, or a spice/coffee grinder, it’s easy. I’ll show you real quick.

Dump. Blend.

I feel like there should be a third step because I like things in groups of three, but that’s it. Really.

Back to the crust. Put the softened butter in a bowl.

Yes, softened. I realize that using soft butter is breaking a cardinal rule of pie crust making, (always use cold butter!!) but it works. Trust me.

Add the salt and smash it around with a fork.

Mashing soft butter is a lot easier than cold butter, don’tcha think?

Add some of the oat flour and mix.

Continue adding the oat flour (in 2-3 portions) until it’s incorporated into the butter.

Now add the almond flour and mix as much as you can with the fork. Using your hands at this point makes it much easier.

The mixture will be quite crumbly. To be honest, I was worried that it would be too dry (because I left out the syrup), but it worked out alright in the end. You could add a tablespoon of water if you’re really concerned about it. But don’t add too much or it’ll be mushy.

Dump the mixture into a pie plate.

Press the dough out evenly. Bake the crust at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes if you’re planning on baking the filling inside the crust later. If you’re going to add a cold filling, bake the crust for 20 minutes at the same temperature.

I used the crust for a quiche, which is one of my favorite clean-out-the-fridge meals. (This one happened to be filled with leftover bits of steak from Valentine’s Day, shredded Brussels sprouts, feta, and salsa for some kick. Great combo!)

The crust held up well being baked for almost an hour, and it wasn’t too brown!

The real test, though, was slicing it. I seriously had doubts that it would stay in one piece.

But it did!

I also picked at the back of the crust to see if it was flaky. Yep. No soggy crust back there.

I believe we have a winner, folks. I really liked the crust’s nutty flavor, too. The taste and texture reminded me of a graham cracker crust, but not as sweet. I can only imagine what a sweet version would taste like!

Be sure to check out Katy’s TK recipe box and lovely blog, The Suburban Girl Gone Country for more delicious-looking recipes, many of which are also gluten-free!

As always you’ll find the full recipe and printable below.

Printable Recipe

Oat/Almond Meal Pie Crust

by girlgonecountry.com on November 18, 2012 in Gluten-Free, Special Dietary Needs

See post on girlgonecountry.com’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s) 2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5

Description

This 50/50 combination of oat and almond flour makes an amazing pie crust.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons Butter, Left Out At Room Temperature For At Least 1 Hour
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
¼ teaspoons Sea Salt
1 cup Oat Flour (ground In A Clean Coffee Grinder)
1 cup Almond Meal (Trader Joe's Brand Works Well)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a pie dish with parchment paper with opposing sides exposed (your handles so you can take the pie out of the dish)—I just put a straight sheet of parchment paper in there.

Mix the butter, maple syrup and sea salt in a large bowl with a fork. If your butter is still cold, just work the fork into it more. Add 1/4 of the oat flour and stir and mash. Add the rest slowly while stirring and mashing (this will help the butter even out easily).

Next, add the almond meal and stir and mash. Use your hand to ensure that butter is worked into the dough evenly.

Press the dough in to the prepared pie dish. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes if you are going to bake a pie, or 15 minutes if you are going to fill the crust with a no-bake filling.

Let cool completely before filling the pie.

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Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

May 18 2011

Oatmeal Butter Tart Squares

Posted by cookincanuck in Baking, Step-by-Step Recipes

There are some recipes, tastes and aromas that evoke strong memories. Memories of childhood dinners with extended family, memories of special occasions. Each Christmas, my grandmother made a batch of her butter tarts to serve alongside the flambéed plum pudding at the end of the meal. The crust was flaky and the filling was sweet, tender and buttery.

Considering my irrational fear of pastry, I always shied away from making the tarts myself. My inability to turn out a decent pie is one of the reasons I am sure that Ree would bar my entrance to her ranch. That, and the fact that I probably wouldn’t be able to stop myself from hugging Charlie her lovable basset hound every few minutes, would likely get me cattle-prodded off the property in no time.

When I saw these Oatmeal Butter Tart Squares by Lindsey (gingerbreadbagels on Tasty Kitchen), complete with a caramelized filling, with raisins, oatmeal and coconut, and a simple sugar cookie crust, I knew I had to try them. At first bite, memories of my grandmother flooded back and I knew that these would become a regular treat in our house.

First, let’s prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and get the ingredients ready.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add milk and vanilla extract and mix to combine.

With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add in the flour and mix until almost combined.

Use a spatula to mix until the sugar cookie dough comes together.

Evenly press the cookie dough into a lightly greased 8- by 8-inch pan. I used a foil liner, which was not in Lindsey’s recipe. Ignore me, and follow Lindsey’s instructions. The filling stuck to the foil and made a bit of a mess.

Bake until the edges start to turn golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Now let’s make the the filling. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.

Place the raisins in a medium bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 20 minutes. Drain raisins and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a handheld mixer), beat brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until combined.

In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment (a handheld mixer works fine too), mix together the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.

Add oats, baking powder and kosher salt, and mix to combine.

Fold in sweetened flaked coconut, raisins and chopped pecans.

Pour the filling over the cooled sugar cookie crust.

Bake until filling is set, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let the squares cool completely before cutting. The squares will firm up once they are completely cooled. If you try to cut them while still warm, the filling may ooze out.

Once cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Thank you, Lindsey, for a dessert that is not only irresistible, but brought back so many fond memories for me. Be sure to check out Lindsey’s blog Gingerbread Bagels for many other wonderful recipes.

Here is the link to the printable recipe: Oatmeal Butter Tart Squares

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Dara Michalski is a doll and a sweetheart who clearly knows her way around the kitchen. She blogs at Cookin’ Canuck, where she shares her flavor-packed recipes and fun, engaging writing. The photography’s pretty incredible, too.

Dec 31 2012

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (Gluten-Free and Vegan!)

Posted by missamy in Step-by-Step Recipes

Looking for a healthy change of pace in your breakfast routine? These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes submitted by Monique of Ambitious Kitchen are just the ticket. Packed with healthy oats, and bananas, and sprinkled with a few chocolate chips, they are sure to set your day on the right track.

I was curious how they would work with no flour involved, but the batter blended into a smooth consistency. The texture is more dense and moist than a flour-based pancake, but we found them hearty and filling, and full of flavor. After a few bites, I began thinking of different tasty combinations using the banana/oatmeal batter base. Warm spices would add a nice touch, as well as chopped walnuts or pecans. Or what about a coconut-and-lime combination? That sounds like the perfect tropical twist to accompany the banana. I think this recipe lends itself well to experimenting, and is certainly a great option for all of those eating gluten-free (make sure you use gluten-free oats!) or vegan.

Let me show you how easy they are.

You’ll need a blender, and a short list of ingredients: ripe bananas, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, old-fashioned rolled oats, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Of course, don’t forget your favorite pancake toppings. Monique suggests peanut butter! She sounds like a smart lady.

An important note!

If you are preparing this for those who need to avoid gluten: Please make sure you use oats that are certified gluten-free oats! Monique does mention that in the recipe, but in case you missed it there and missed it a few paragraphs above, ya can’t be too careful. The oats in the photo are not gluten-free. Over and ~~oat~~ out.

Begin by adding the banana and vanilla milk to a blender, and blend until smooth.

Next, in go the oats, baking powder, and salt. If you want to add any spices (cinnamon would be mighty nice), now would be the time to do it.

Blend until combined, then let sit for a few minutes until the batter thickens up. If it gets too thick, add a bit more almond milk, a little at a time.

While you wait for the batter to thicken up, using cooking spray, olive oil, or butter, lightly coat your preferred pancake cooking surface, and heat over medium. A nonstick skillet or griddle is always nice.

Once skillet is ready, drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto surface. Gently spread with a spoon if needed.

Sprinkle some chocolate chips on each pancake. Watch for bubbles to appear (about 2 minutes), then flip pancakes.

Cook until golden brown (about another 2 minutes). Repeat until all batter is used, adding more cooking spray, oil, or butter as needed.

Top with your favorite pancake partner, and dig in. We added a major drizzling of honey to ours, which was lovely, but I’m thinking of trying peanut butter the next time around.

Thanks Monique for sharing this new option for enjoying pancakes. Visit her blog, Ambitious Kitchen, for more of her recipes. She describes herself as someone passionate about pancakes, and I can definitely see why. I know I have many gluten-free friends that will be happy to try this recipe, too.

Printable Recipe