Strawberry and Pomegranate Pie (AIP, Paleo)

PIE. I am actually not the biggest pie fan, BUT my mom's strawberry pie was the definition of summer to me. Loaded with sugar and topped with whipped cream, it was my favorite treat growing up. Obviously, there was no way I could have a piece of that now, so I had to figure out how to make something that was just as worthy, but appropriate for my new lifestyle.

This  recipe uses Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour. I am so excited to have found a flour that truly works as a 1:1 substitute to regular flour. It has opened a whole new world for the AIP/Paleo community.

Strawberry and Pomegranate Pie

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 ¼ cup cassavaflour, plus another tablespoon for dusting
• A pinch of Salt (approximately 1/8 teaspoon)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ½ cup Organic Shortening
• 2 tablespoons of avocado oil
• Up to 6 tablespoons of cold water

Filling

• 1 cup of blended strawberries 
• ½ cup pomegranate juice
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of gelatin
• 2 ½ - 3 cups of diced strawberries (depending on how much you want to stuff your pie, hehe) 

Preparation

Pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease pie pan with 1 teaspoon of palm shorting. (I have only tested this recipe with a glass pie dish, so I am not sure how another type will bake.)
3. In a large bowl, add cassava flour and salt.
4. Make a small whole in the center of the flour and add in the maple syrup, palm shortening, and avocado oil.
5. Now get your hands dirty. Use them to mix all the ingredients together. It will be crumbly, this is ok, just be sure to combine, so the flour is no longer powder.
6. Finally, add in cold water, one tablespoon at a time. It will begin to become dough like, mixing it with a spatula. First it will get a sticky. Add enough water so that it is no longer stick and can be formed into a ball, but don't over work it either so that it is to smooth.
7. On a clean work surface, lightly dust with cassava flour. Grab your rolling pin and dust it a little too.
8. Form the dough into a large ball and put it on the dusted surface. Roll out the dough to form a large circle. You will need to do this very slowly and work with the dough, be patient. 
9. When crust is ready, transfer to pie dish. Crimp the edges with your finger and use a fork to poke the bottom of the crust.
10. Place in oven and cook for 20 mins. 
11. Once done, remove, and let crust cool.

This crust can be made a day or two in advanced. If you choose to make it on the same day, you will need to allow time for it to completely cool before adding the filling. This could be a few hours.

Filling

1. Add sliced strawberries to cooled pie crust. You want to fill the whole crust and for them to be level with the top edge of the crust or a little over.
2. In a small sauce pan, combine crushed strawberries, pomegranate juice, and maple syrup.
3. Sprinkle on gelatin and let bloom for 1 minute, 
4. Over low heat, warm sauce for 2-3 minutes, lightly whisking as gelatin melts.
5. Once warmed, carefully pour sauce over strawberries so that it evenly covers them.
6. Place in fridge and let it set for at least an hour. Again you can make this pie a day ahead of time.

When ready to serve, let sit out for about 30 mins to an hour. You can eat it right out of the fridge, but letting it warm, just provides a little better of a texture.

Serve it topped with some whipped coconut cream or a little date syrup if you get your hands one some. 

Shared on AIP Recipe Roundtable