The Perfect Pie Crust

One of my biggest challenges with this allergy was to make a pie crust that not only tasted good but had that perfect flakiness to it.  I had been trying for about a year using olive oil and I was extremely unhappy with how the crust was turning out.  It was dry and hard to roll and was never pretty looking.  So one day I decided to give coconut oil a try. 

For the first time since the allergy I made a perfect crust.  It rolled out well , went in the pie plate with out issues and tasted just like a regular crust like my Baba used to make.  It was so easy to do that I actually now enjoy making the crusts.  (Before it was liking having my teeth pulled with out freezing!!)

The Perfect Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup firm coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
8-10 tbsp. cold water

Mix together the flour and salt.  Cut in the coconut oil with a knife until crumbly.  Add water a tbsp. at a time until a dough forms.  Refrigerate about 10 minutes and then roll the dough out on wax paper.  Place the pie plate upside down over the dough and flip.  Fill with your favourite fillings!!

So the favourite pie in our house is apple pie.  This recipe tastes so good you just may want to eat the entire pie.

Apple Pie Filling

6 large apples peeled and chopped (we love to use gala apples)
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. flour

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into the crust.  Top with another crust.  Brush with egg and bake at 375 F until golden brown.

Chocolate Bark

For anyone that knows me, they know that I love chocolate.  It is one of my most favourite things to eat and if that is all Kevin ever bought me as a gift I would be content.  Since changing how we eat, where we get our food and they type of footprint we want to leave behind I have started to make my own chocolates.

The first one I made was not corn safe for Ry because of the cranberries but the second one I made him - peanut butter and sea salt he loved and devoured.

Cranberry Sunflower Chocolate Bark

1 bar semi sweet baking chocolate
1 bag bitter sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tsp sea salt

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.  Once melted pour on a wax paper lined sheet and spread out.  Top with the cranberries, seeds and salt and allow to set in the fridge.  Break into pieces and store in a container in the fridge or freezer.

For Ry's I added organic peanut butter to the chocolate and topped with sea salt.