From MI Gluten-Free Gal

Prepared Pie Crusts

Cherry Pie Filling

1 beaten egg

Course sugar crystals for decoration

For the crust:

1 pkg Chebe All Purpose Bread Mix (1-1/4 cups)

2 tbsp oil

2 eggs

4 tbsp cold butter (cut into chunks)

4 tbsp ice cold water

Use Chebe All Purpose Bread Mix to make two pie crusts. I use a stand mixer to cut in the butter an and make the dough. Roll the dough out to make two 9-inch crusts. You can use them both or freeze one for later. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Cut out 3 1/2" round circles. I used only one pie crust, which resulted in 8 circles. Brush bottom crust with beaten egg. Then, top with 2-3 tbsp cherry pie filling. Take another circle of crust and lightly brush with beaten egg. Place egg side down on top of cherry filling. Using fork, crimp edges of the gluten-free cherry hand pie closed.

Brush top of hand pie with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar crystals. Repeat steps with additional pie crust dough. Bake gluten-free cherry hand pies covered with brown paper bag for 25 minutes. You can remove bag during last three minutes of baking to achieve a darker crust.

This year we are trying one from Pond Hill Farm.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups, serves 6

¼ cup grape seed or coconut oil

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup coconut sugar, coconut nectar or date syrup

1/8 cup fresh ginger (peeled and minced) or 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon ginger juice

2 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed cranberries

1 cup crystallized (candied) ginger, finely chopped, divided

1 tablespoon orange zest

a pinch of sea salt

dash of lemon and orange zest

Simmer ginger briefly in oil with salt. Pour juice and sugar into a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar has dissolved. Add cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until liquid thickens.

Add a third of the crystallized ginger and simmer, stirring often, until cranberries have popped and sauce is thickened to desired consistency, about 10 minutes more…

Remove from heat, stir in orange zest and all but a few pieces of the remaining crystallized ginger. Set aside to let cool to room temperature. Garnish with reserved crystallized ginger and lemon zest.