Tortilla crust pie

Date:    Sat, 15 Jan 94 15:44:46 CST
 From:    
 
 
 Very Fine Pie Crust and Pie (easy, total added fat=8 gms per pie)
 
 2 whole wheat tortillas, 8 1/2 inch diameter (Garden of Eatin' is 4gms
       fat per tortilla, larger/smaller tortillas are okay, and fat free
       might work.  GofE ingredients are organically grown whole wheat
       flour, water, aluminum-free baking powder, soybean oil, and sea
       salt, 4 gms fat and 130 calories each).
 pie filling (example follows)
 
 4 granny smith apples (quartered, cored and sliced twice more per qtr.
       to get 12 slices per apple; and halve each of these slices
       crosswise to make the apple bits match the berry sizes better)
 12 oz. bag berries (ie. fresh cranberries, defrosted frozen raspberries)
 1/2 c. + 1 to 2 Tbs. sugar or Sucanat
 2 Tbs. cornstarch (or 4 Tbs. flour)
 water as needed
 
 Cover the bottom of a pot with water.  Add cranberries, if you are using
 cranberries, and boil until they pop, about 10 minutes or less.  Strain,
 retaining the liquid.  Cover bottom of pot with water again, or use some
 of the cranberry liquid, or the liquid drained from the defrosted fruit.
 Add apples to the pot, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the apples
 begin to start cooking.  Add sugar, stir.  Mix the cornstarch in about
 2 Tbs. of cool or lukewarm liquid (you can use plain water), until the
 cornstarch is dissolved.  Add the cornstarch to the boiling pot, and
 stir continuously.  If it starts to thicken too fast, remove from heat
 and continue stirring until well mixed.  Add berries, stir.  Add any
 optional ingredients (ie. lemon zest, kirschwasser liquor, currants).
 
 Assemble the "crust" by softening a tortilla over heat briefly (if it
 needs softening), and flatten it or shape it into an 8 inch pie pan (you
 can use a 9 inch pie pan if the tortillas you find are bigger, or patch
 a bunch of small tortillas together in a rectangular pan).  Pour in the
 heated fruit mixture.  Soften the second tortilla, and press on top of
 the pie, pushing the near-edges down into the pie to seal the edges (as
 the juices rise to help form a seal) and form a sort of fluted "crust-
 edge".  Score slice marks in the top crust, or cut a few air vents.
 Optionally, brush crust lightly with a 2:1 concentration of sugar water,
 and sprinkle surface with sugar or sugar/cinnamon mix.  Bake the pie for
 only 15 minutes, at 400F, or remove as soon as the crust has become
 crisp (<15 min).  Let cool at room temperature at least 1 hour before
 serving, to get the juices to set, otherwise serve hot.  Serves 6.
 
 Alternates: You may use two or more layers of tortilla, if you like, on
 the bottom crust.  No oil is necessary.  :-)