Been experimenting again with making grain free pie crust using almond pulp.
This new crust recipe is very, very similar to the one I used in my Asparagus Quiche, except this time I used coconut flour instead of quinoa and I left the baking powder out, since I wanted a bit of a thinner crust.
I was in the mood for a very rustic little pie, made with caramelized sweet potatoes and apples as the main ingredient. And since I find chestnuts go so well with sweet potatoes, I decided to add some of that too!
Then I debated for a little while as to whether or not I wanted to add a binding agent in there… I finally, well, after consulting with my mom and daughter who were eating with me that night, to not use one and leave the filling all loose, just like that.
This made for an even more rustic pie, almost kind of like a hash in a crust.
AB-SO-LU-TE-LY LOVED IT!
I could’ve eaten this for ages.
That filling was exactly what I had in mind. Sweet, creamy, nutty and a little bit tangy… I’m really happy I decided not to use a binding agent after all, it was like an avalanche of textures and flavors, quite literally.
As for the crust, it was typical of just about anything that calls for coconut flour. It had that very particular smooth / dry texture… you know. If you are a fan of coconut flour, you understand exactly what I’m talking about. It might not be the easiest crust to work with, but its overall yumminess makes the effort very much worthwhile!
Another thing that I really liked about this dish is that it was just as good fresh out of the oven as it was right out of the fridge when I had leftovers the next day.
This makes those lil’ tartlets an ideal choice to bring to work for lunch. Nothing like a lunch that doesn’t need to hit the “ever-highly-sought-after-and-always-being-used-when-you-need-it” microwave oven. I don’t have that kind of patience, and to be honest, I’m not a huge fan of microwaves period. I try and avoid using them as much as I can. When I do, it’s always for very short periods of time.
All in all, I was VERY pleased with this experience!!! I would redo them again in a heart beat… but I have other plans in mind for my next batch of almond pulp.
What’s that you ask? Oooooh… it’s a glorious plan, I can tell you that much.
We’re talking one of my all time favorite dishes. OK, I know, they’re all my favorites. You’re right…
But this one is the best, really.
I’m talking pizza here, guys. I’ll be attempting that this week-end.
My very first attempt at creating a grain free pizza crust.
Let’s hope it turns out!
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour
- 2/3 cup buckwheat flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 cup almond pulp (leftover from milk, no dates or vanilla used this time)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 golden delicious apple, cored and cut into 1" cubes
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 100g packaged roasted chestnuts
- ½ cup raisins (I used Sultana)
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small mixing bowl, beat egg and buttermilk together and set aside.
- In a seperate (and significantly larger) bowl, add arrowroot, buckwheat flour, coconut flour and salt and whisk until well incorporated. Whisk in almond meal, blend thoroughly and make a well in the middle.
- Pour egg mixture into the well and progressively mix in flour mixture with your fingers or wooden spatula. Continue mixing until dough comes together then turn over onto a floured surface (make sure to use grain free flour!)
- Knead dough for about a minute, until really well incorporated then shape into a flat rectangle. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- The easiest way to roll this dough is between two sheets of parchement paper, but you could also choose to do it on a floured surface. Again, make sure to use non grain flour, such as quinoa. Roll the dough to form a square large enough to cover large individual quiche dishes.
- Now this dough doesn’t have any gluten to hold it together, so you might not be able to lift it and place it onto your dishes in one piece. Get ready to do a little bit of patchwork!
- Cut your dough into 4 pieces and place each piece onto an individual quiche dish. If your dough should rip or even break, which will probably happen, don't worry about it. Just stitch and repair the pieces as you go, until your dish is entirely covered, sides and all.
- Repeat with remaining 3 pieces and set aside.
- Set your oven to broil
- Line a baking sheet with parchement paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add sweet potato, apple, olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and transfer onto reserved pan.
- Place in oven under broiler and cook until potato and apple start to caramelize and turn slightly golden.
- Remove from oven and set temperature to 375F
- Transfer potato mixture back to large mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Mix well and divide between the 4 reserved pie shells.
- Place in the oven and cook for about 40 minutes, or until nice and golden brown.
- Serve immediately with a side of salad.
- Leftover pies can be reheated or served cold.
Notes
Grain Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Paleo Friendly
Wow – wonderful tartlets! Yum! And beautiful shots
WOW, WOW, WOW! Are you kidding me? This looks AMAZING! I wish I was eating this right now – soooo yummmmmmmmy! You are so talented Sonia
Awww, thanks so much Nora! As always, too kind! You get me blushing way too often!
Thanks, girlfriend! You made my day once again!
Looks like perfection. Now if only I had that pie dish…
The pie crust looks so crisp. I would love to try it this weekend. I will be back to tell you how good it would be to my taste. Thanks for the recipe. I am going to add more apples here. I love this fruit much.
Thanks Yui! Hope you like the tarts. I really look forward to hearing your thoughts!