Fruit Tart: Gluten and Dairy-Free!

• By Cate Whittington
• /
• August 2018 - Vol. 4 No. 8
• /
• 1 Comment

Heart-healthy, high-protein almond flour combines with a rich,

vegan pastry cream and sweet fruits of summer to yield an unbeatable guilt-free August dessert!

I am asked increasingly to cook for vegans. While this does not represent much of a problem with savory dishes of all sorts, desserts require more testing. There are numerous substitutions for dairy, but I find that the taste or texture is sometimes compromised. I often turn to Elena Amsterdam’s Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook with recipes to satisfy those following both dairy and gluten-free diets. The following simple tart crust may be adapted for any number of vegetable and fruit tarts. I have included Elana’s recipe for creme pattissiere, made with cashews, to serve as a replacement for creme fraiche or whipped cream in this dessert.

The dessert itself is basic: crust, filling, glazed fruit. Some assembly required.

For the tart pictured above, I spread the creme patissiere onto the bottom of the cooled crust, then arranged glazed nectarines, plums, and apricots on top of that. For my glaze, I melted a small amount of  Flamin’ Peach Jam from Chiles Peach Orchard on the stovetop and poured it over the cut fruit.  I love the kick that the red pepper flakes added to the sweetness of the sugary peaches. You may also spread the jam directly onto the crust, beneath the layer of creme patissiere, and leave the fruit unadorned. Using what’s in season, experiment with other fruits and jams to your heart’s content. The possibilities are endless.

Serve immediately or refrigerate up to two hours to prevent the crust from becoming soggy.

Tart Crust

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

2 Tablespoons honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil and honey. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Press the dough into a 9″ tart pan.
3. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

Creme Patissiere

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup cashews

1 cup plus 1 Tablespoon water

1/3 cup honey

1 Tablespoon  vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the cashews, 1 cup of the water, honey, and vanilla extract on the highest setting for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth. Place the cashew mixture in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Whisk constantly for 1 minute, then decrease the heat to a simmer while preparing the arrowroot paste.
2. In a small bowl, dissolve the arrowroot powder in the remaining 1 Tablespoon water, stirring to make a paste. Increase the heat to high and add the arrowroot paste to the cashew mixture, whisking constantly for a bout 1 minute, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
3. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Elana Amsterdam, the Gluten-Free Almond Flour cookbook, 2009, Celestial Arts, Berkeley