left to right: butter, coconut, shortening
Mixing all three pretty much went the same except the coconut oil variety needed to be kneaded a lot more than the others. The half/half mixture was also a bit crumbly and had to be worked more. With gluten filled flours it is best to let the crust rest for an hour or so in the fridge and I don't think that's really the case for these ones, but I did it anyway just in case. Although I don't know if I'd do it again because it really took a long time to bring the coconut oil back to room temperature so that I could manipulate it.
Shortening
coconut oil
half coconut oil/half butter
That's actually the first problem with gluten free pie crust - it doesn't hold together nearly as well as the regular stuff and you have to handle it with tender fingers and add the right amount of xanthan gum too. At least once you want to shape it, but before
that you have to really put some time into kneading and getting it workable. It reminds me a little bit like using molding chocolate. I used a lot of extra flour too while I was working with it so that it would work in and give me more structure. In a full gluten recipe you would actually not want to work it so much, in fact the less the better, so kneading this so much seems to go against all the rules but trust me, it has to be done.
I would say that all three of them held together about the same. So I decided that it would come down to taste and how they held up during the baking process. As samples I made little tart shells using a cupcake pan and then cut out some leaves for decoration to see how that would work as well. Everything held up really well to baking. They all browned nicely and kept their shapes perfectly. Next came the tasting. All of them turned out light and flaky with a little crunch but also a "melt in your mouth" quality. The full coconut oil definitely held onto the coconut flavor - albeit light and very pleasant. The full Crisco one tasted pretty much just like my original recipe and no one would even know it was gluten free if I were to use that one. The half and half mixture gave a nice blend of the two; not too much coconut flavor and I think the buttery-ness would have been very nice. However I used a vegan butter because that's what I had in the fridge at the time and it gave an after taste that wasn't as pleasant as I would want to serve my non-gluten free family.
Before I started I wanted to make sure that Crisco was gluten free. It is, however, just because something makes that list doesn't mean it's a good choice. I went ahead and used it because that's what I've always used and it was already a part of my plan, but I won't be using it anymore. It contains TBHQ and that is a toxic petroleum by-product that shouldn't be allowed in food. However, it is in most pre-packaged products because it is a cheap preservative. You can read more about my experiences learning the effects of removing this and other toxins here, where I also go into how it cured my daughter of her ADD as well as helping in many other ways! If I go the full shortening route again I'll use Spectrum instead.
After a quick taste check by my husband it was confirmed that the all coconut oil version was the tastiest and best mouth-feel; with a nod to the full shortening version being the most like the original. So with that confirmation I decided to make my pumpkin pie with the coconut oil recipe. I figured that the flavors would be quite complementary and they were! The hardest part came when I went to put the rolled out dough over the pie plate. Without that sticky gluten to give the crust an elasticity that allows you to roll it thin and pick it up for transport it gets pretty tricky to make that move. I ended up rolling it a bit thicker than I normally would and keeping a good amount of flour on the counter and rolling pin. Then making sure the pie plate was very close I was able to gently wrap the crust around the pin and quickly lay it over the plate. It didn't want to play nice with me however around the edges. The dough actually broke off on the edges before I could put the rolling pin down and start gently forming the crust to the pan which made it a bit difficult to make a pretty edge. I was able though to add crust to the edges and squish the pieces together in a way that made it look like it was all one piece from the beginning. It took more manipulation to get the pie plate covered well but using my fingers I was able to even it all out and make it nice.
I got so excited that I did the crust that I completely forgot to add the decorations to the top of the pie - but it still turned out well and my whole family loved it. They praised my crust before they knew it was gluten free which I think is actually the biggest endorsement!
Here is my recipe with all the variations if you'd like to try it for yourself :)
2 c. All purpose gluten free flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 c. shortening or coconut oil (or 1/2 c. coconut oil plus 1/2 c. butter)
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp ice cold water
Use a pastry blender or a fork to mix the flour, xanthan gum, oil/shortening/butter, and salt until blended but crumbly. Add the ice water*; sprinkling each tbsp around over the top of the flour mixture. use the pastry blender to get it all incorporated until it is too much then finish by using your hands. Dump dough out onto floured counter (using more gluten free flour) and knead - sprinkling with more flour as necessary - until dough is well mixed and smooth. Either use right away or cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to use. Let it set out for a couple hours before use if it's been in the fridge.
*A note about the ice water: I fill a glass with very cold water and add a few ice cubes to it then put it into the fridge until I'm ready to measure it out.
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