Root Beer Float Pie

My kids don’t drink much soda at all, so this is really a special treat for them. Want to boost the root beer flavor even more? Add some root beer flavoring or root beer concentrate in place of the vanilla extract. Or just serve with a tall, frosty glass of root beer.

Ingredients:

Single Pie Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend  already contains it)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, roughly chopped and chilled
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water, iced (ice cubes do not count in volume measurement)

Filling

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unflavored powdered gelatin
• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 fluid ounces) water
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups root beer soda
• 5 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Topping

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Maraschino cherries, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Pie Dough.

1. In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine well.
2. Add the chopped and chilled butter, and toss to coat it in the dry ingredients.
3. Flatten each chunk of butter between your thumb and forefinger.
4. Add 1/3 cup of water and mix until the dough begins to come together.
5. Add the remaining water by the teaspoon until no part of the dough is crumbly.
6. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured piece of unbleached parchment paper and press into a disk. Sprinkle the dough lightly with more flour, and roll it out into a rectangle that is about 1 inch thick, moving the dough frequently and sprinkling it lightly with flour if it begins to stick. Fold the dough over on itself like you would a business letter.
7. Sprinkle the dough again lightly with flour, and roll out the dough once again into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Twice more, remove the top piece of parchment paper, sprinkle lightly with flour, and fold the dough over on itself like you would a business letter. This will smooth out the dough and make it quite easy to handle.
8. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Make the pie shell.

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F.
2. Grease a 9-inch metal pie plate generously and set aside.
3. Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Place on a lightly floured piece of unbleached parchment paper, dust lightly with flour, and roll into a 12-inch round, about 3/8-inch thick.
4. Roll the pie crust loosely on the rolling pin and then unroll it over the prepared pie plate.
5. Press the pie crust gently into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate and, with kitchen shears, trim the excess crust so that only 1/4-inch of excess is overhanging the plate. Tuck the 1/4-inch of excess under itself, and crimp the edge gently all the way around the crust.
6. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with the tines of a fork and place the pie plate in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes.

Bake the pie shell. 

1. Remove the pie plate from the freezer and place a large piece of unbleached parchment paper in the center of the crust.
2. Place pie weights or dried beans in a single layer in the center of the pie crust, on top of the paper. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and remove the paper and pie weights.
4. Return to the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Continue to bake until the crust is lightly golden brown all over (8 to 10 minutes more). If you don’t bake the crust until it is golden brown all over, your pie will have a soggy crust once it is filled. Remove the pie crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Make the filling. 

1. In a small bowl, place the water, sprinkle the gelatin on top, mix to combine and allow to sit for about 2 minutes so the gelatin can bloom (it will swell).
2. In a medium-sized, heat-safe bowl, place the flour blend, sugar and salt, and whisk to combine well.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the milk, and then the egg yolks, whisking to combine after each addition until smooth. Set the mixture aside.
4. In a medium-sized heavy-bottom saucepan, place the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and the root beer, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the hot milk and root beer mixture to the bowl with the egg mixture in a slow trickle, whisking constantly to combine.
5. Once all of the hot milk has been added, pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat.
6. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat until thickened enough that the whisk leaves a visible trail in the mixture as you whisk it (2 to 3 minutes).
7. Add the bloomed gelatin and mix to combine well.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the chopped butter and the vanilla, and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
9. Pour the filling into the cooled shell and spread into an even layer.
10. Allow the filling to cool for about 5 minutes.
11. Cover the pie with plastic wrap, placing the plastic directly on the surface of the filling to avoid its developing a pudding “skin.”
12. Place in the refrigerator to chill until set (at least 2 hours and up to 2 days).

Make the topping and serve. 

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream and the confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form (about 3 minutes).
2. Remove the plastic wrap from the chilled pie and spread the whipped cream on top.
3. Slide the pie out of the shell onto a cutting board before slicing with a wet knife, placing a maraschino cherry on top of each slice and serving.

Enjoy!