Gluten Free (GF) pastry needn’t be mystifying.
There are plenty of GF flours out there that you can combine to make a wonderful pastry mix. This particular pastry lends itself to tarts and quiches. It is, like most GF pastry very short (crumbly) so if you feel nervous about rolling it out, just press it into your tin and pretend you are working with shortbread. It is not vegan as it contains an egg to bind it so those concerned about such things can add Xanthan Gum instead.
This is my Go-To for savoury tarts and quiches. It is a beautifully elastic soft pastry which you can roll or press with your fingers. Because it is so pliable it creates very thin tart shells – a thin crisp astry and more filling!
This will line a deep (4cm) 20cm quiche ring so if you have a regular slightly less deep flan tin you will have a little left over – freeze it. Or 2 x 20cm regular quiche tins or 3 x 18cm
200g Wholemeal flour (adds flavour)
50g organic white flour
25g polenta (adds crunch)
25 g mixed seeds
15g poppy seeds
100ml white wine (or water)
80ml regular olive oil
1 egg beaten – saving one tablespoon of it
a pinch of salt
Measure the oil and water/wine into one measuring container. I always like how the oil floats on the water…I know its nerdy but I like it.
Put all the ingredients in a bowl together and mix with a knife until a solid soft ball is formed.
Take care not to over mix
Ceate a disc of pastry with your hands
Roll with a rolling pin and use the rolling pin to lower into the tin – press in with your thums. Trim the excess
Or
Press the pastry into your tin gradually working from the centre out so the pastry is one thickness. make sure the rim is properly thick not paper thin using your thumb to tap it down a little.
Scrunch up a piece of baking paper (it needs to become softer and pliable)
Fill with ceramic baking beans if you own them, a mix of beans, rice and grain as I prefer or salt (which works well but if spilt makes your tart really really salty so I avoid it).
Bake for 20 minutes at 180C
Remove the beans
paint the inside with the spoonful of egg – you just waterproofed the tart case to prevent a soggy bottom and we don’t want any of those
Bake again for 10 minutes
Leave to cool, fill with your chosen filling and bake gently until the filling is cooked.
no sugar…no flour…no fat…..no way?
This reworked classic shows brilliantly that healthy eating is in fact all about packing in more taste and more flavours and eating more things – yayy!! Its full on taste and mouth feel and a fully paid up member of the “seriously chocolately” club. It just happens to contain zucchini in place of fats, lots and lots of antioxidant rich chocolate and ground nuts in place of flour and whisked eggs for protein and importantly lightness. This number definitely does not belong in the “tastes like sawdust but I’ll eat it because its healthy” club. Oh no, not at all.
Continue reading “Skinny Black Forest Gateau with “visinata” (cherry liqueur)”
