Sour Cream Apple Pie

This is not a paleo recipe, but it's such a classic in our household that I have to add it. Although it is a 'sour cream' apple pie, the recipe works just as well with tofuti sour cream, and it has never let me down. Most of the gluten free pie crust recipes that I've encountered work just fine, and I know everyone has their favorites, so I'm hesitant to suggest one particular recipe above all others. For the pie pictured above, I used the standard crust out of "The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook" by Cybele Pascal (http://www.cybelepascal.com/books/) because I was trying to use up some old flour mix, and it turned out very well. My sister swears by the dream pastry out of Bette Hagman's "The Gluten Free Gourmet Makes Dessert" ( and in the past I've usually just found a recipe that fit whatever ingredients I had on hand. I'll include a basic pie crust recipe here, but feel free to experiment and try your own! The filling is quite adaptable to different temperatures, times, etc :)


Sour Cream Apple Pie
Servings: 8

For the topping
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour, gluten free

For the filling
1 1/3 cups sour cream, imitation
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons flour
5 large granny Smith apple (about 2 1/4 pounds)

1. preheat oven the 350 degrees F.
2. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, fit it into a 10-inch (6 cup capacity) pie plate, and flute the edge decoratively. Chill the shell while making the topping and filling. make edge of pie high so that filling does not pour out.
3. Make the topping: In a small bowl blend together the butter, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the flour until the mixture is combined well and chill the topping, covered, while making the filling.
4. Make the filling: In a large bowl whisk together the sour cream, the sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the eggs, and the flour until the mixture is smooth, add the apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin, and stir the filling until it is combined well.
5. Spoon the filling into the chilled shell, smoothing the top, and crumble the topping evenly over it. Bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until it is golden and the apples are tender, transfer it to a rack, and let it cool completely.

Pie Crust

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup shortening, cold
1/2 cup water, ice cold

1. Place flour, starches, salt and sugar in a food processing bowl. Pulse for a few seconds to blend ingredients. Place shortening or shortening/butter combination, cut into small, approximately ½-inch pieces, in the food processing bowl. Pulse ingredients for 15 to 30 seconds until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
2. With the food processor running, slowly pour cold water into the feed tube, just until the dough comes together. Stop the food processor immediately and remove the dough. If the dough comes together before you’ve poured all the water into the feed tube, do not add the final amount of water.
3. Place dough on a lightly floured surface (brown rice flour) or a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Form dough into a ball and cut in half. Wrap one half of the dough in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out while you work with the other half.
4. Flatten the ball of dough into a round disc, place between two pieces of waxed or parchment paper and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. If your dough is slightly sticky, lightly flour the dough disc and the bottom parchment/waxed paper before rolling out the dough
5. After rolling the dough, gently remove the top piece of parchment/waxed paper. Invert the rolled pie dough into a lightly greased pie tin (using spray oil or lightly grease with shortening). Fill the pie shell with desired filling.
6. Unwrap the second half of dough and roll it as instructed above. Lay rolled dough on top of the pie. Using your fingers, gently press down the dough along the edge of the pie tin. This will help seal the top and bottom pie crusts together. Running a knife along the outside edge of the pie tin, cut the excess pie crust from the pie tin and discard or save for another use. Using your fingers, pinch the dough to flute the edge or use a fork to press the crust edge down.
7. To obtain a nice golden crust, lightly brush your crust with milk of your choice or a beaten egg white mixed with 1 tablespoon water, before placing the pie in the oven for baking. Double-crusted pies must vent steam during baking. With a small knife, place several slits in your top crust before baking your pie.