Organic Well Being: Organic.org

Monday, November 25, 2013

Organic.org

Posted: 25 Nov 2013 08:20 PM PST

Sweet & Salty Spiced Pecan Crust (Gluten-free)

Absolutely worth every calorie and then some! It's a bit sweet, buttery, lightly spiced with cinnamon, and enhanced with a bit of salt to bring out the flavors. This crust goes so nicely with the pumpkin pie filling! This crust is very sensitive to changes, so I caution against changing things in the recipe.

Ingredients: (for 9 inch pie)

1 cup GF certified rolled oats, processed into a fine flour OR 1 cup GF oat flour
2 cups raw pecans
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp ground flax
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup brown rice syrup (acts as the binder, honey may work if you prefer that)
1 tbsp coconut oil or Melt Buttery Spread

For the directions and to print the full recipe (including filling) recipe, click here.

The pecans need to be ground very finely until they release their oils and start sticking to the side of the machine (this took me 35 secs exactly in my processor, fyi). You should be able to form a ball with the pecans. If you don't process the pecans enough the crust will be too dry. With that being said, you don't want to make pecan butter either!

After mixing all the ingredients, the dough should be a bit sticky like this:

You should be able to form a big ball with it. If it's too dry, add a touch more melted Melt Buttery Spread, a teaspoon at a time.

Crumble it into a greased pie dish:

Press down and outward to form the crust (press firmly!) and pre-bake for 10-12 mins at 350F. Cool for 10 mins before scooping in filling and baking. Make sure you let the pie chill for at least a few hours in the fridge before carefully slicing with a sharp knife.