APPLE TART {vegan, gluten free!}

this is the year i learn how to bake my friends!  when we stopped eating eggs, dairy, white flour and sugar i gave up on the idea of baked goods- and my heart, it broke a little.  ok, A LOT.  but that was crazy!  there are so many ways to make amazing baked goods without those things.  and i've committed to learning how.  one delicious tart at a time.  i think you're going to really love this new ambition of mine and if you have a recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies that you want to share- please do!  more after the jump, including why i think this tart is the perfect dish for entertaining!

i'll be serving this up at our next dinner party because it's easy to make (fool proof even!), has extraordinary flavor (no one will ever know it's healthy) and lastly- it's an impressive presentation. homemade tart?  i think your guests will assume you were laboring over it for hours.  that's how i like it- smoke and mirrors!  i hope you enjoy...

the what:

crust-

2 cups millet flour

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

filling-

4 apples

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons sliced almonds

glaze-

1/2 cup (gluten free) apricot jam or preserves

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

the how:

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

 to make the crust:

- in a food processor combine millet flour, almond flour and salt

- over a low flame heat coconut oil and maple syrup- stir to combine

- add coconut oil and maple syrup to flour and pulse until combined

- spread dough in a 9.5 inch oiled tart pan (preferably with a removable bottom, like this one!), press down and fill sides to form a crust

-pierce crust with a fork several times and bake for 15 minutes

- remove from oven and flatten crust with a fork- pressing down to make it as compact as possible

for the filling:

- peel and thinly (and evenly!) slice 4 apples and pile in pan.  this is your opportunity to play a little with the apples and presentation- i went for a sort of apple flower shape.  fun!

- combine maple syrup and lemon juice and brush over the apples

- sprinkle almonds on top and bake for 1 hour (possibly a little more or less, depending on your oven) until the apples are soft and slightly browned

lastly, the glaze:

- combine apricot jam and water in a small pan and heat on low until the preserves are thinned.  

-remove from heat and add lemon juice, then our mixture through a strainer to remove any apricot chunks

- brush tart with glaze and serve (preferably warm!)

*recipe adapted from Terry Walters' CLEAN FOOD (i highly recommend this cookbook)

Comments

[Ruby]

Gorgeous! I am in awe of what you can do without white flour and sugar... eventually those are things I would like to cut out of my diet as well. Seeing recipes like this one is inspiring :)

[sarah yates]

thank you ruby! i know, i can't wait to learn more- there's no reason that i can see to use flour and sugar when you can make things like this! :)

[Bea]

These are two I found recently although I haven't tried them... yet! :)

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/10/vegan-chocolate-chip-walnut-cookie.html

http://blueberrygirlinoz.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/no-sugar-oat-drops.html

These vegan brownies look good too!
http://www.thefirstmess.com/2012/05/09/gluten-free-vegan-caramel-brownies/

[Julie // Bound]

This looks so great and is so timely...I barely made it past the woman in Costco who was handing out samples of apple strudel yesterday. Anything pie-like is my kryponite, so having this around would make my life SO much better!

[Aileen]

WOW that looks too pretty to eat!! It looks amazing!

[Ashlae]

The woman after my own heart <3 Now I wanna bake with you. Must. Get. To. Cali. Or you visit Denver ;)

PS - GORGEOUS TART.

[dervla @ the curator]

I think my heart would break a little bit too. But looks like you're doing just fine with this gorgeous piece of apple beauty. Nice one :)

[Sonya]

This apple tart looks divine - I must try the recipe!