Coconut Flour Pie Crust

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and makes it challenging to work with when a recipe calls for more than a tablespoon. I have 16 oz glass jars of organic coconut oil. I suppose that if I ever buy that humongous container from Costco, I would have to move it all into glass containers. I put the jar in a pot of water over medium heat. After a few minutes, enough of the coconut oil liquefied and to pour out what is needed instead of having to guesstimate the solid to liquid ratio. I have gotten many ideas about raw coconuts (like how to make coconut products from scratch with whole coconuts) from the Coconut Mamma blog. This recipe ratio is hers and I like its simplicity.

Unbaked Coconut Flour Pie Crust

Like an almond flour pie crust, this one is hard to gauge how thick it is when you pat it down into a 9" pie plate. Given how it bakes, this pastry is only good for the bottom of the pie.

Ingredients

1/2 c organic coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 c organic coconut flour
2 tbsp raw honey

Directions

In a large bowl (or food prep), beat together eggs, coconut oil, honey, and salt. Add coconut flour and stir until the dough holds together. Gather into a ball and pat into a 9" pie plate.

Prick the dough with a fork. (Sadly, this does not stop the pastry from rising from steam.)

Bake 10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let cool before using.

Savory Pie Crust

I have been using this pie crust recipe for pot pies. Seeing how there is a lot of turkey meat leftover, I think a few mini pot pies will be good to make this week.

Ingredients

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tbsp cold water

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, black pepper and butter. Gradually add enough cold water so that the dough comes together.

2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

3. To use, roll out dough to desired shape and bake according to pie or tart instructions.

Yield: one 9-inch or 10-inch crust

Kitchen note: This amount of crust is enough to make four 6 oz double crust pot pies which are baked at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Leek Pie

This recipe comes from The Ploughman's Lunch and the Miser's Feast by Brian Yarvin. Made it for dinner tonight. Came out really good. It's a stick-to-your-ribs sort of meal. I used the leftover crust dough to make odd shapes on top. Uses 1 hot-water crust recipe (see below).

Filling Ingredients

6 leeks, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten (optional)

Filling Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and fry leeks until they are translucent; about 30 minutes.

2. Remove skillet from heat and combine leeks, cream, cheese, and spices in a large bowl. Mix well.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Using one of the rolled out pie crust rounds, line a pie dish and add the filling. Cover with the second rolled out pie and trim off the edges. Decorate top of pie with excess crust dough cut into shapes. Crimp edge with fork tines. Brush top of pie with an egg wash (1 beaten egg).

5. Bake on the center rack for 40 minutes.

British Hot-Water Pie Crust

This part of the recipe makes two 9" pie crusts. As far as I can ascertain, the "British" part of this pie crust is using beef suet/lard/shortening. American pie crusts, Brian says, typically use ice water and chilled butter.

Crust Ingredients

4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 c. whole milk
1 c. shortening
1/2 c. water

Crust Directions

1. Sift flour into a large bowl.

2. In a small saucepan, combine milk, water, shortening, and salt. Bring to a boil then immediately add to the flour and mix together.

3. Once the dough comes together easily, divide into two equal portions. Roll out to fit the pie dish. Take care to not overwork the dough. This is a much thicker crust than what you'd use on a fruit pie.

4. Roll out dough to 11 inches wide and 1/8" thick.

Note: If the crust is too dry to roll out, add 1 tbsp of hot water. If the crust is too wet, add 1 tbsp of flour.