November Product of the Month

When I found out that Pillsbury was coming out with their own #glutenfree line I was a little skeptical yet, I was also secretly really excited at the same time. It could mean some excellent new products for those of use with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerances. Pillsbury products were a favorite of mine when i ate gluten and even though I don't usually like to use too many processed products in my diet, its that time of year when pies, pastries, and all sorts of yummy warm food reigns. So, I felt it was my duty to at least buy and try the products once and let the community know what I thought.

I was excited to find their dough at the small Publix near my mom's house. If they were there, it means they are getting around. That store doesn't normally have the largest selection and before I post about something in the store I like to make sure others can find it. They had the cookie dough as well but that is for another post. At the Publix, these were nearly $5 but I did manage to find them at the Commissary on base in Charleston for less than $3. Also, a lot of people on my Facebook page told me that you could find them at some dollar stores on the eat coast (which is AWESOME!).

I used the pastry dough for my pecan pie and it turned out fabulous. My husband and father could barely tell the difference between a store bought Pillsbury pie pastry and this one. I will have to tell you though that the pastry dough is not soy-free. The first ingredient is Soybean oil and soy is one of the foods I react the quickest too. It gives me really bad stomach cramps (and other issues I won't detail) so I only worked with it with my hands and trusted my fussy (non-gluten free) dad and supportive husband to let me know their thoughts. They approved. So, for a quick gluten-free pastry dough during this busy season, try picking some up and feel free to let me know what your thoughts and experiences are! Happy Baking!

November Recipe of the Month

During the fall season, my husband loves pecan pie and sweet potato pie. While I have managed to conquer sweet potato pie, Pecan pie has always been a struggle for me. I have never been able to perfect the recipe. It usually burns on the top or ends up runny in the middle. Or I burn the crust or it tastes bad. I've made half a dozen and still never made the ideal pecan pie. Even when I started using the pre-made pillsbury pie dough that just rolls out I still had the first two issues I mentioned. My neighbor Margot always seems to have the best baked goods and I usually end up inviting her over to our parties and requesting her pecan pie because my husband loves it so much. She knows it too so don't think you can blackmail me with telling her!
However, since we moved recently, I was determined to not fail at this domestic challenge anymore. When I bought the new gluten-free Pillsbury pastry dough and looked at their website for a recipe to play with the new product, I stumbled across their pecan pie recipe. I decided to take a deep breath and accept the challenge. So while this recipe isn't my own and doesn't have any of my typical flair, it does work like a charm. Every. single. time!

Pillsbury Gluten-free Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/2 container Pillsbury® Gluten Free refrigerated pie and pastry dough
  

Filling

• 2/3 cup sugar (I have used Stevia successfully)
• 1/3 cup butter, melted (I use Earth Balance Soy-free)
• 1 cup corn syrup (I used light Karo)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup pecan halves or broken pecans (sometimes I add an extra 1/3 of a cup because I like pecans)

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375°F. Knead dough until softened and no longer crumbly. Flatten into a round; place between 2 sheets of cooking parchment or waxed paper. Roll into a round 1 1/2 inches larger than top of 9-inch pie plate.

2) Carefully peel off top sheet of paper. Replace paper to cover loosely; carefully turn dough over, and remove second sheet of paper. Use paper to carefully turn dough over into ungreased pie plate; remove paper. Press dough firmly against bottom and up side of plate. Flatten edge with fork or crimp for decorative edge.

3) In medium bowl, beat sugar, melted butter, corn syrup and eggs with whisk or hand beater until well blended. Stir in pecans. Pour into crust-lined pie plate. **Their recipe says to cover the edges of the crust with strips of foil but I cover the entire top with foil.

4) Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set, removing foil for last 15 minutes of bake time (I use a pie shell edge cover for this part as well because I fear burnt edges). 

5) Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. (Do NOT skip the refrigeration step!)

Serve with whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.