Gluten Freebird

One of the hardest things with gluten-free cooking has been finding suitable alternatives for my baking. There are no easy substitutes when baking without gluten. Cookies come through without too many major issues, but cakes can be dry and, as I just discovered, pie crusts are nearly impossible.

Last weekend (before THE CLEANSE), Gluteneer and I had dinner at his boss’s house. We brought the main course (which the Bossman bbq’d) and dessert. My idea was to whip up the Blueberry Pie with lemon curd from this month’s Bon Appetit.

With a huge quart of blueberries from the Farmers Market, we set to work, simply replacing the all purpose flour with my favorite gluten-free mix. And after an hour’s refrigeration, I had a gummy mess. Baking might yield, oh, a biscuity mess, but it wouldn’t give me a good, flaky crust.

So, when life gives you biscuits, make a blueberry grunt. It turned out deliciously and nobody had a clue. We served it with black raspberry ice cream from Trickling Springs Creamery. The lemon curd recipe will come along shortly.

Blueberry Grunts with Lemon Curd

(Majorly adapted from Bon Appetit)

For the Biscuits:
2 1/2 cups gluten-free baking flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tbs sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 6 tbs (1 3/4 sticks total) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, frozen, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tbs ice water
For the Berries:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 cups assorted fresh berries (such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries; about 8 ounces of each)

To make the biscuits:
Blend flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in processor fitted with pastry blade. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water; blend. Dough will form a very moist lump. Gather dough into ball and chill at least 1 hour, up to a day.

Now for the berries:
Mix sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice in large bowl. Add blueberries and toss gently to combine. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes to an hour.

Transfer berries to a Dutch oven, deep skillet or heavy-bottom sauce pot. Add berries and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Use hands or a buttered ladle to scoop up the dough in eight portions. Plop each onto the berry mixture, spacing them evenly over the surface. Lower heat to a very gentle simmer, cover the pot and simmer until dumplings have cooked through, approximately 20 minutes. They will look doughy. You can cut into them to check for doneness. Move pot to cool on a wire rack, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm.