linelle, if I lived in another state, the vodka would be cheaper, but here in Michigan it's taxed like crazy. I've been known to bring a bottle back from Chicago, but that's illegal. Ahem. Here a pint is $11 and that's for the cheap Popov stuff. Another poster said you had to have good vodka, that affected the taste, so that ups the price. And I'd rather die of whatever ailment than to ever drink vodka, LOL, although I did spring $22 and buy a bottle to make Lemoncello. We drank a little of it mixed with cranberry juice and I ended up dumping most of it out after about 14 months in my refrigerator, I'm told THAT won't last forever. Hey, I wonder how lemoncello would work in pie crust, for a lemon meringue pie. Hmmmm..... Annie

Um, well, I have 8 cows. And a horse, and 21 chickens, 2 dogs and 2 cats. I do like my animals. (grin) Plus 200 asparagus crowns that needed the ferns trimmed today because it's going to be raining tomorrow and then highs in the 20s after that. People have been coming to cut Christmas trees, we have the "cut your own" thing but someone always needs change or a saw or help. We'll set hay tomorrow because I'm going out of town for three days (but driving home every evening) for some "Ag" classes, but I'll have to come home early on Wednesday evening because I'm secretary of our Township Planning Commission and we have a 7 pm meeting. The farrier is coming Tuesday and Elery is on his own for the first time for that. I need to bake cake for 100 by Sunday for Madi's birthday and an anniversary cake for Saturday for an elderly friend and his wife, 66 years of marriage. Then next week we start on Christmas baking because Elery's family Christmas is the 16th and we're taking ham, beef, lasagna, apple stack cake using his Mother's recipe, plus cookies and fudge. I need to bake a birthday treat for Elery's grandson Jack, he's 10, and we'll give him his birthday present at the Christmas party, but he's 10, he needs a cake or something so his birthday doesn't get lost in the Christmas shuffle. Oh, and I need to make fudge to send to California for Elery's oldest son and their family. Fortunately for me, I can sliced apples and freeze fruit already sliced or peeled or whatever, so I really can make a 10 minute pie if I have to. It's not as much fun and it's sure not fancy, but it's pie and it'll do in a pinch. Today, though, I made date filled cookies for no reason other than Elery likes them. They aren't the prettiest cookie on a plate, but they sure taste good! Annie

Exactly my thoughts.... MUCH too beautiful to eat. -Browning is aided by the addition of a sweetener and/or milk. -Xanthan gum, vinegar, and baking powder are ingredients that will help extensibility to help prevent cracking. -The addition of tapioca flour and/or cornstarch in a recipe will improve handling. -I wonder if using the coconut oil that remains a liquid would make a difference? Carrington Farms Coconut Cooking Oil (I find it at Wal-Mart) has a lot of uses in the kitchen where you want the coconut oil to remain liquid, and this pasty recipe may be one of them. -I found recipes that mist the pie tin with oil, and then mist the crust with oil just before baking. This may help prevent cracking, but it would also add a lot of fat and possibly make a greasy crust. -An egg wash would give it some strength, and that may help. Here's a crust recipe from "Gluten-Free 101" by the queen of gluten-free - Carol Fenster, Ph.D. (link to her web site is below). Coconut Pie Crust: Grease 9-inch pie plate. Combine 1-1/2 c. shredded coconut, 2 T. soft butter or margarine, 1 T. sweet rice flour, 1 t. vanilla extract, and 1/4 t. salt. Press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 325-degrees F. until lightly toasted -- about 10-15 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning, Cool thoroughly. Add filling of your choice. Serves 6. Nutrition: 160 calories; 12g fat; 1g protein; 14g carbohydrates; 43mg sodium; 0mg cholesterol; -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Carol Fenster Cooks

I meant that low and slow doesn't work for me, reaction to the Serious Eats article. The crust doesn't come out "right", and it does at 425° F, so I just stick to that and haven't worked out why's and wherefores, but that's a wheat, butter, water, salt pastry. Jasdip, if you were talking about an egg dough crust, that could be entirely different--I don't know Nathan, but I just had a memory of you talking about liking an egg dough crust some time back. That would make me think even more that the shrinkage is a moisture issue. I've only made that GF one, and only once. It was for a quiche, and I remember what it looked like after I blind baked it, but I don't remember if I did it as usual or if I had some other tip in mind at the time. Thinking further... Since it works fine with filling, I still think the issue is that it's getting too dry. That would be a vote for a lower temperature... You didn't say the temperature you were using within the range. If it's been 420° F, maybe try 375° F...