nut-free

GAPS Friendly Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Strawberry rhubarb pie has always been one of my favorites! In the past I have modified recipes to make a strawberry rhubarb dessert, but this year I decided I wanted to use my growing knowledge and skill in the kitchen and make a delicious GAPS-legal pie. My added challenges? I wanted to make it with a fermented almond crust, and use a different sweetener than honey. Finally, I wanted to have a modification that made not only GAPS legal, but dairy-free, nut-free and egg-free.

Overall, I would call the experiment a success. But to get that success I had to make more multiples of this recipe than I ever have for any previous recipe I've posted. Because of the crust. Not that my "tester" friends and family complained.

Turns out almond flour crust doesn't play nice with a wetter pie filling. Actually, the problem is that it plays too nice! It wants to combine with the filling; get up close and personal. Not what a pie crust is supposed to do. I did not fully overcome the pie-crust conundrum, but every recipe I made turned out delicious. So instead of chocking it up as a "failed recipe," I decided to share with you what I made... a good pie that happens to have a crust with boundary issues! And, of course, I will share the modified recipe for egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free strawberry rhubarb dessert. Keep reading!

Ingredients FOr Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

For the Pie Crust:

  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour

  • 1/4 cup whey (enough to moisten)

  • 1/2 cup room-temperature butter (or lard)

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

For the Filling:

  • 3 1/2 cups rhubarb pieces

  • 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1/2 cup date syrup (I use this one)

  • 2 TBS gelatin dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water

  • Optional: zest from 1/2 lemon

Directions for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

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Mix almond flour and whey together. Cover and leave on the counter for 24 hours to ferment.

After 24 hours, this mixture keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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To the fermented flour mixture, add butter or lard and sea salt. Mix well, getting all clumps out.

Then butter a pie pan well. Press the crust mixture into the pan and form a crust using your fingers.

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Bake at 400° for 5-8 minutes until a little dry and just turning brown.  

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Combine all ingredients for the filling. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the juices increase.

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Add the filling to your pre-baked crust.

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Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes until light brown.

Directions for Strawberry Rhubarb Dessert

A delicious nut free alternative served hot or at room temperature!

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Mix the filling the same, except add 2 additional TBS of gelatin and dissolve in 1/2 cup of hot water.

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Let the filling sit for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors mix.

Line muffin tins.

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Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until the tops are just browning.

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Serve warm or room temperature. These gooey treats are a bit messy, so eat with a spoon. They are delicious!  

Enjoy!


Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Author:
prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

For the Pie Crust:
  • 2 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup whey (enough to moisten)
  • 1/2 cup room-temperature butter (or lard)
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
For the Filling:
  • 3 1/2 cups rhubarb pieces
  • 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup date syrup (I use this one)
  • 2 TBS gelatin dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
  • Optional: zest from 1/2 lemon

instructions:

How to cook Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

24 Hours Before
  1. Mix almond flour and whey together. Cover and leave on the counter for 24 hours to ferment.
  2. After 24 hours, this mixture keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week.
The Next Day
  1. To the fermented flour mixture, add butter or lard and sea salt. Mix well, getting all clumps out.
  2. Then butter a pie pan well. Press the crust mixture into the pan and form a crust using your fingers.
  3. Bake at 400° for 5-8 minutes until a little dry and just turning brown.
  4. Combine all ingredients for the filling. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until the juices increase.
  5. Add the filling to your pre-baked crust.
  6. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes until light brown.
Created using The Recipes Generator

Strawberry Rhubarb Dessert

Author:
prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups rhubarb pieces
  • 2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup date syrup (I use this one)
  • 2 TBS gelatin dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
  • Optional: zest from 1/2 lemon

instructions:

How to cook Strawberry Rhubarb Dessert

  1. Mix the filling the same, except add 2 additional TBS of gelatin and dissolve in 1/2 cup of hot water.
  2. Let the filling sit for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors mix.
  3. Line muffin tins.
  4. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes until the tops are just browning.
  5. Serve warm or room temperature. These gooey treats are a bit messy, so eat with a spoon. They are delicious!
Created using The Recipes Generator

Christmas Wreath Cookies {GAPS Legal}

It's the holiday season! More specifically, it's cookie season!   I love making, giving away (and eating) Christmas cookies. But it's been a long time since I have enjoyed many of the cookies I grew up making, so this year I decided I wanted to create real-food versions of some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes.  

First up, Christmas Wreath cookies!

  This cookie is traditionally a mix of corn flakes, marshmallows, and butter. So let's look at the ingredients...

  • The butter is already a real food!

  • Marshmallows I have made before, modified from Mommypotamus' marshmallow recipe.

So all I had to do was figure out a substitution for the corn flakes (and see if the marshmallows actually work the same as the commercial variety).   Challenge accepted!

Christmas Wreath Cookies

Makes about 36 cookies (recipe can be halved)

Ingredients

For Marshmallows

  • 2 cups honey

  • 1 cup of filtered water

  • 2 tsp vanilla

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 6 TBS grass-fed beef gelatin

  • 1 cup of filtered water

For Wreath Cookies

  • Marshmallow paste (above)

  • 8 ounces organic butter

  • 14 cups coconut flakes (approximately 20 ounces)

  • Red hots (my homemade recipe)

  • Natural food coloring, blue and yellow packets (I used this one)

Directions

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Place the coconut flakes in the oven at 200°

Toast the coconut until they are light brown—this makes the cookies crispier! When done, remove them from the oven Place in a large bowl, set aside.

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Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat When melted, remove from heat and set aside   Next, make the marshmallow paste. See recipe here.

Soften the gelatin

  • Add gelatin to 1 cup hot water

  • Stir and allow to to sit, keep warm (not on stove)

While gelatin is softening... Heat honey and water in a medium saucepan (medium to high heat), stirring frequently, until it reaches the soft ball candy stage (about 235°F).

If you don't have a thermometer, you can check by dripping the heated honey into a glass of cold water. When the candy forms a ball, it is ready!

When the honey has reached the soft ball stage, remove from heat. Add the heated mixture to the softened gelatin in a large bowl. Add vanilla.

Do these steps quickly, you don't want honey mixture to cool off too much!

Whisk the mixture using an electric mixer or stand mixer for about 10 minutes.

When the mixture is thick and looks like marshmallow paste, it's done!  

If you want marshmallows, you can stop here. Put the marshmallow paste in a greased glass 9x11 dish and allow to cool and dry for a 24-36 hrs. Then cut up and serve.  

But we are not stopping here! To make traditional Christmas wreath cookies you melt the marshmallows and turn them back into paste-which is what you just created!  

Next, stir the melted butter into the mixture. It will deflate the mixture somewhat, this is normal.

Mix in the blue and yellow food coloring packets. This will turn it green (not neon green—that's an artificial color). But when it's made into wreathes it does look green—although you're going to have to take my word for it!

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Pour the marshmallow mixture into the bowl with the toasted coconut flakes. Mix until the flakes are coated.

Finally, form the warm mixture into wreath-shaped cookies on parchment paper.

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Add decorative red hots as berries (see my homemade recipe) Allow to cool.

See, I told you they look green!

All that's left is to share and enjoy these delicious treats!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Your trust is important. I only recommend products I trust. 

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Christmas Wreath Cookies

Author:
prep time: cook time: total time:

ingredients:

For Marshmallows
  • 2 cups honey
  • 1 cup of filtered water
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 6 TBS grass-fed beef gelatin
  • 1 cup of filtered water
For Wreath Cookies
  • Marshmallow paste (above)
  • 8 ounces organic butter
  • 14 cups coconut flakes (approximately 20 ounces)
  • Red hots (my homemaderecipe)
  • Natural food coloring, blue and yellow packets (I used this one)

instructions:

How to cook Christmas Wreath Cookies

  1. Place the coconut flakes in the oven at 200°
  2. Toast the coconut until they are light brown—this makes the cookies crispier! When done, remove them from the oven Place in a large bowl, set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat When melted, remove from heat and set aside Next, make the marshmallow paste. See recipe here.
  4. Soften the gelatin
  5. Add gelatin to 1 cup hot water
  6. Stir and allow to to sit, keep warm (not on stove)
  7. While gelatin is softening... Heat honey and water in a medium saucepan (medium to high heat), stirring frequently, until it reaches the soft ball candy stage (about 235°F).
  8. If you don't have a thermometer, you can check by dripping the heated honey into a glass of cold water. When the candy forms a ball, it is ready!
  9. When the honey has reached the soft ball stage, remove from heat. Add the heated mixture to the softened gelatin in a large bowl. Add vanilla.
  10. Do these steps quickly, you don't want honey mixture to cool off too much!
  11. Whisk the mixture using an electric mixer or stand mixer for about 10 minutes.
  12. When the mixture is thick and looks like marshmallow paste, it's done!
  13. If you want marshmallows, you can stop here. Put the marshmallow paste in a greased glass 9x11 dish and allow to cool and dry for a 24-36 hrs. Then cut up and serve.
  14. But we are not stopping here! To make traditional Christmas wreath cookies you melt the marshmallows and turn them back into paste-which is what you just created!
  15. Next, stir the melted butter into the mixture. It will deflate the mixture somewhat, this is normal.
  16. Mix in the blue and yellow food coloring packets. This will turn it green (not neon green—that's an artificial color). But when it's made into wreathes it does look green—although you're going to have to take my word for it!
  17. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the bowl with the toasted coconut flakes. Mix until the flakes are coated.
  18. Finally, form the warm mixture into wreath-shaped cookies on parchment paper.
  19. Add decorative red hots as berries (see my homemade recipe) Allow to cool.
  20. See, I told you they look green!
  21. All that's left is to share and enjoy these delicious treats!
Created using The Recipes Generator