The No Grainer Baker's {GF} 'Graham Crumb' Pie Crust

Last time I was home with the kids to visit my mom, she gave me a cookbook that she had purchased for me (and had the author sign!): The No Grainer Baker (Like no-brainer, but no-grainer - get it?): Gluten Free / Grain Free; Ideal for celiac, high fibre, low carbohydrate and low sodium diets.  So many of the recipes look tasty and promising, and to be honest, I've only actually made one of them so far - but that recipe has turned out so well (so many times!) that I actually asked the author of the cookbook, Ann Preston, if I could share the recipe on our blog - and she has very kindly agreed!

This is a recipe for a 'graham cracker crumb'-type crust that works perfectly for not only cheesecakes (check out this chocolate cheesecake recipe that my sister posted last year - SO GOOD.  I made it last night and I had forgotten how delicious it is.) but for fresh berry pies, too!  In this past three weeks, I've used this recipe as a base for a strawberry pie, a blueberry pie, and a chocolate cheesecake.  The ground almonds give the pies a delightful nutty taste: as opposed to being merely a platform upon which to build your dessert, it adds a wonderful dimension to the sweet, fruity, or chocolately topping. I have now served desserts with this crust to about a dozen folks outside of my family, all of whom have thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it a welcome change from the typical graham crust.

 Here's the recipe, courtesy of Ann Preston, The No Grainer Baker:  Please head over to her website and check out her cookbook (www.theNoGrainerBaker.com) - there are so many other promising sweet & savoury recipes in her cookbook that I can't wait to try out! Or, go check her out on Facebook at facebook.com/NoGrainerBaker. 

GF Pie Crust / Cheesecake Base
 Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cup ground almonds
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar, palm sugar, or xylitol
• 1/2 cup melted butter*

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• In medium bowl, mix ground almonds, cocoa powder and sugar.   
• Add melted butter and stir until mixed.
• Press into 9" springform pan or pie plate.
• Bake in oven 15 minutes.  Remove & let cool. 

* The first 2 times that I made this recipe, I used coconut oil (unscented) and it worked just as well as it did the 3rd time when I used butter. 

Enjoy!  Happy baking, and please let us know what kind of pie or cheesecake fillings that you use this base for - I'd love to try something new!

Please note - the views that I express are, as always, my own.  I was not paid nor did I benefit in any manner by writing this post - I simply want to share this fantastic recipe with you, and point you towards more of (hopefully) the same in Ann's cookbook!