When I first was diagnosed as a Celiac Disease 8 years ago, things were not as easy as they are now to find Celiac Friendly Baked Goodies. I scoured the internet trying to find a decent brownie recipe or chocolate chip cookies that didn’t take 6 different types of flour that you had to grind yourself. Then I watched a YouTube video from this skinny little doctor. She said that her obese patients who had been diagnosed with Celiacs try to replace their goodies with a gluten free option. She warned against this. I turned her off right away and went on with my search!

Be very careful with gluten free goodies. Rice flour is “safe” as far as the reaction you have from gluten but it is really high in carbs. Baking makes you fat. Plain and simple. But it’s Christmas and I promised you a pie crust recipe and I have learned a trick that makes things very easy. You will need a pastry double dough roller. Sometimes they call them a pizza dough roller.

Never Fail Pie Crust

• 2 ½ C. Gluten Free Flour (my new favorite is Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 For Baking)
• 1 C. Butter Flavored Shortening (don’t use butter or margarine; it makes your crust to hard to cut!)
• 1 Egg
• ¼ c. Cold Water
• 1 Tbsp. Distilled Vinegar
• ¼ t. Salt

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and shortening with a pastry blender until balls form.
2. Add your egg, water and vinegar and mix until all incorporated.
3. Separate into 3 balls. Place each ball into a quart size Ziploc bag and flatten into a round disc. Put in the freezer for about 15 minutes. These actually freeze really well so take one out at a time as needed.
4. Take it out of the Ziploc bag and place it in the center of your pie pan. Take either plastic wrap or wax paper and put it over the top of the disc big enough to fit your pie pan. Take your pastry roller and roll it directly in the pie pan. Make it thin like normal pie crust and roll it right up the sides. You can even make that pretty stuff around the edges if you like.

This pie crust turns out so flaky and yummy, my family even loves it. If you like to do a lattice type for the top, I roll it between pieces of waxed paper and make it a little thicker or it will be tough to lay out on your pie. Don’t try to take a short cut on making it cold either or it’s too sticky to work with. Good luck!!

As far as making cookies, I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1. There is not so much sorghum in it which I think makes cookies too heavy and this flour has the texture, once baked, of normal flour. AND if you go to Portland ever, they have a store that you can buy Bob’s Red Mill in bulk for way cheaper.

I have not yet mastered bread. I did find a pull apart dinner roll on Pinterest that is pretty good. My dogs won’t even eat my bread…if any of you know of a good recipe, please share it with me!

Merry Christmas to all of you!!

If you are needing help with creating your wellness plan Contact Karen G Clemenson of Wellness Works NW, located in Longview, Washington. Wellness Works NW serves Cowlitz County and the surrounding areas.

Barb Berg lives life to the fullest! She loves horses and people! Over the past few years Barb has had to make changes to her life after finding out that she has Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. In June 2016 Barb also lived though knee replacement surgery. These experiences have encouraged her to learn more about nutrition and exercise. Barb would like to encourage other people living with Celiac Disease to live and thrive on their path toward wellness. Barb resides in Cowlitz County with her husband and grown children and works with Cowlitz AmeriCorps. She is the author of Celiac Living.

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