Gluten and Sugar Free Mini Apple Pies

Yields: 6 mini pies or 1 large pie

1/2 cup grass fed salted butter 

2 cups gluten free high protein flour blend 

1 cup high starch gluten free flour 

1 teaspoon guar gum 

1/2 teaspoon gluten free baking powder 

3/4 cup cold milk 

5 large apples, remove skin and core, chopped 

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1/2 raw local wild honey

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine apples, cinnamon and honey. Set aside. Combine all the dry ingredients. Cut butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Drizzle in enough milk to bring the dough together. Divide dough into 12 equal size portions. Put a piece of dough in between two pieces of parchment paper and roll into a 6" round and place in a small tart pan. Fill with the apple fillings and add another piece of pastry to cover the top. Cut a small slit on top.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until crispy and golden.

Gluten Free Caramel Banana Cream Tart

Tart:

2 cups fresh cream

3 large very ripe bananas, mashed 

1 envelope of gelatin 

1/2 cup sweetener of your choice 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence

 4 cups gluten-free chocolate cookie crumbs 

1/2 cup of melted salted grass fed butter 

2 large ripe bananas, sliced

Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Pour the crumbs into the tart pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and up the sides. Cover the bottom with caramel sauce. Refrigerate. Dissolve gelatin in two tablespoons of hot water. Whip cream, sweetener, and vanilla until it forms soft peaks.Add mashed bananas and gelatin and continue whisking until it starts to thicken.Add one cup into a piping bag with a small round nozzle. Pour the rest into the shell. Pipe mounts around the edge of the tart (refer to picture).Arrange sliced bananas over the top and cover with caramel sauce. Refrigerate to until set (about 1 hour).

Caramel Sauce:

1 packed cup brown sugar 

1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes 

1/2 cup cream 

Sea salt to taste

Melt sugar in a large stainless pot on medium heat until it melts, stirring occasionally.Add butter whisking constantly to melt and combine. Remove f rom the heat f or a few minutes and add cream, whisking constantly to combine. Return to the heat and continue whisking until the caramel is smooth and creamy (if you prefer a thinner consistency, whisk in more cream). Season to your taste with sea salt. Leave to cool completely.

Gluten Free Mini Blackberry Crumbles

Serves: 4

6 cups fresh blackberries

1 large Meyer lemon, juice and zest

1 cup coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice

1 cup almond flour

1 cup oat flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

4 tablespoons cold grass fed salted butter, cut into chunks

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine berries, lemon juice and zest, and half the sugar. Divide into four mini flan dishes. In a food processor, pulse butter, flour, sugar, and oatmeal until it starts to resemble crumbs. Scatter over the top of the mini crumbles.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the topping is crispy.

Gluten Free Vegetable Tart

Crust:

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 tablespoons chopped cold grass fed salted butter

1 large egg, room temperature

5 tablespoons ice cold water, more as needed

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. 

Add butter and mix on medium speed until crumbles form. Add the egg to combine. Add water gradually and continue mixing until the dough detaches from the bowl and forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface. Transfer into a 9" greased tart pan. Press dough up the sides and trim off excess. Line dough with parchment paper and add pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove pie weights and bake a further 15 or until the crust is crispy and lightly browned. Let the crust cool completely.

Filling:

1 small purple eggplant

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup crispy onion bits

3 large eggs

1 cup cream

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Handful freshly chopped parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Slice eggplant into very thin slices. Whisk eggs and cream. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Scatter eggplant over the bottom of the crust, followed by tomatoes and crispy onion bits. Sprinkle parsley and parmesan cheese over the top followed by the egg mixture.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the custard is set and vegetables are cooked. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese to serve.

Gluten Free Mini Fruit Pies

Filling:

2 large green apples, remove skin and core and chop into very small pieces

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons candied orange peel, chop into small pieces

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 teaspoons apple spice blend

Combine apples, raisins sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and apple spice blend. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Crust:

2 cups gluten-free almond flour blend or all purpose

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon guar gum

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

6 tablespoons cold water

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine flour, guar gum, and sea salt. Rub butter into the flour mixture with your finger tips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs working as quickly as possible to prevent the dough becoming warm. Add ice water to the dough and using a cold knife stir until the dough binds together. Add more water a teaspoon at a time if the mixture if too dry. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll each on a floured surface into 6"circles. Place tablespoonfuls of fruit in the middle of the pastry circles. Fold up the edges of pastry, leaving center uncovered. Brush folded pastry with egg wash.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until pastry is browned and cooked.

Crustless Pumpkin Tart with Mixed Berry Coulis (gluten-free)

Tart:

1 cup brown rice flour

15 oz cooked pumpkin puree

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

4 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup sucanat or sweetener of your choice

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine all the dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream sugar and cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well in between followed by Greek yogurt and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, continue mixing to combine.

Pour into a 12" by 12" tart pan. Place in the middle of a large roasting pan with at least 2" around the sides of the tart pan. Fill the roasting pan with hot water to cover the bottom half of the tart pan. 

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until custard is set. Remove the tart carefully out of the water bath to cool completely.  

Refrigerate for at 24 hours for best results before serving.

Mixed Berry Coulis:

2 cups frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, black berries)

1/2 cup sucanat or sweetener of your choice

1 meyer lemon, juice

Combine all the ingredients and simmer on medium heat until it thickens (about 30 minutes). Set aside to cool completely.

Salmon Basil Quiche

Crust:

1 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, frozen and cut into small cubes

5 tablespoons icy cold water

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Pinch salt

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles bread crumbs. Form into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out pastry dough. Place in a prepared 12 inch by 12 inch quiche pan. Cover sides also.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Filling:

6 ounces cooked salmon

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup cream

1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbles

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/4 fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, crated (garnish)

Salt and black pepper

Whisk eggs, cream and mustard to fully combine. Season well with salt and black pepper. 

Arrange salmon, red onions, basil and goat cheese crumbles in pastry shell. Pour egg mixture into pastry shell. Season with salt and black pepper.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until set.

Sprinkle extra parmesan cheese on top. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.