“Nutty” Pie Crust

I’m really like what oat fiber brings to baked goods.  So far, everything I’ve put it in has been FANTASTIC!  Gives things a real flour-y taste!  And this stuff is pure fiber!  A serving size is 28g..  I weighed that amount out and poured into a measuring cup and it’s just slightly under 1/3 c.  One serving only has 5 calories, 26g carbs and 26g fiber!  So it effectively does almost nothing to your recipe Nutritional Info if you just use 1/3 c. , as seen below.  Tonight’s experiment was hubby’s request for strawberry pie, so I took my Peggy’s Piecrust recipe and cut the almond flour by 1/3 c. and added in 1/3 c. of the oat fiber.  PURE MAGIC!    Didn’t LOOK like a traditional flour crust, but hubby and I said it sure TASTED like one.  Very crisp, even under a strawberry pie filling that had a glaze slightly thickened with xanthan gum.  And it was still dry/crisp on the bottom on day 2!

Not suitable for Atkins Induction.  For the crust pictured, I used half golden and half flax meal.  I think it will LOOK nicer if I use all golden in future, and have so noted it in the recipe.  But I was just about out of golden and had to add some dark to the recipe tonight.  You’ve all been there.  🙂  Have to admit, though, using half dark flax gave it a nice nutty flavor and I like that actually.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 c. almond meal

1/3 c. CarbQuick (or Jennifer Eloff’s Gluten-Free Bake Mix if you need gluten-free version)

1/3 c. golden flax meal

1/3 c. oat fiber  (for gluten free, use oat flour ground from 100% certified gluten-free oats)

Pinch salt

1 T. granular Splenda (or equivalent sweetener)

4 T. cold butter, unsalted

1 egg

1/4 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS: Place first 6 ingredients into food processor or blender (or bowl).  Process/blend a few minutes to get it as powdery as possible (stir well if using a bowl) .  Add cut up butter and pulse (or cut in with fork or pastry cutter if using bowl) until butter is well incorporated.  Add egg and vanilla and pulse a couple times to blend.  Dump mixture into glass pie plate.  Using plastic gloves or sandwich bags for gloves, press mixture into bottom and sides of pan, trying to keep the bottom thin and push the sides up far enough to be able to pinch a decorative edge with your fingers as pictured.  Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 8 servings, each contains:  (crust only)

118 calories, 11.45 g fat, 7.84 g  carbs, 6.80 g fiber, 1.04 g  NET CARBS, 3.46 g  protein, 61 mg sodium