GLUTEN FREE TARTS: GF TEA PARTY PART IV - A SWEET RECIPE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

GF Tart Shells filled with Lemon Curd and Peach Jam

     This recipe for Tart Shells was from my friend Rita Symczyk.  Rita was the mother of my friend Ray from High School days.  She became a second mother to me over the years and an extra Grandma for my son.  Rita was a great baker and cook.  Her baked goods were the first to go at any bake sale.  She passed away in 1992 and I still miss her.  I have one of her baking tins and put homemade butter cookies in it every Christmas.

     I used to be able to use a tart press to shape the shells in the muffin pan with the regular recipe, but the dough of the gluten free version is too sticky.  With any gluten free pie or pastry dough I’ve made I had to shape the dough into the pan with plastic wrap or my wet fingers.

     The gluten free dough is stickier, but it bakes up just like the regular dough would and tastes great. 

     You can fill the baked tart shells with fruit juice sweetened jams; custards; lemon curd; pudding; whipped cream and berries or anything you would fill a traditional pre-baked tart shell with.  To keep them sugar free use sugar free fillings such as fruit juice sweetened jams ; sugar free jams; or unsweetened or stevia sweetened whipped cream and fresh fruit.

     They are best eaten on the day they are baked, as they stay crispier.  However, I have served them a day or two later and not one tart was ever left over.

GLUTEN FREE TARTS

TART SHELLS

Ingredients

½ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea or Chickpea/Fava Flour
½ tsp.	Xanthan or Guar Gum
¼ tsp.	Salt
½ cup (1 stick)	Unsalted Butter - Cold (for Vegan or Dairy Free use an Earth Balance Buttery Stick, and OMIT THE SALT in recipe)
3 oz.	Cream Cheese – Room Temperature (for Vegan or Dairy Free use Dairy Free Cream Cheese)
½ tsp.	Almond Extract (optional)

Directions

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

     Spray a 24 count mini muffin pan with cooking spray.

     In a bowl add flours, xanthan gum and salt; mix well.

     With a pasty cutter or two knives cut in butter until all the flour is coated with the butter and no pieces of butter are visible.

     If you have a food processor place all the flours, the xanthan gum and salt into the bowl of the processor.  Pulse to mix the dry ingredients.

     Add the Butter and pulse until the flour is coated with the butter and no pieces of butter are detectable.  Put mixture into a bowl and follow rest of directions.

     Add Cream Cheese and, if desired, Almond Extract.  Blend into the flour mixture until well mixed.

     With wet hands form into 24 walnut sized balls.

     Place a ball inside a muffin form and with wet hands press the dough so that it evenly covers the bottom and sides of the form.  Repeat for all the dough balls.

     Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.  The shells will be lightly browned.

     Carefully remove each tart shell and cool on a rack.

     Fill with desired filling just before serving so that the shells stay crisp and flaky.

Rita Symczyk and My Son Nate 1989

            

GLUTEN FREE TARTS TART SHELLS Ingredients ½ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour ¼ cup Chickpea or Chickpea/Fava Flour ½ tsp. Xanthan or Guar Gum ¼ tsp. Salt ½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter - Cold (for Vegan or Dairy Free use an Earth Balance Buttery Stick, and OMIT THE SALT in recipe) 3 oz. Cream Cheese – Room Temperature (for Vegan or Dairy Free use Dairy Free Cream Cheese) ½ tsp. Almond Extract (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 24 count mini muffin pan with cooking spray. In a bowl add flours, xanthan gum and salt; mix well. With a pasty cutter or two knives cut in butter until all the flour is coated with the butter and no pieces of butter are visible. If you have a food processor place all the flours, the xanthan gum and salt into the bowl of the processor. Pulse to mix the dry ingredients. Add the Butter and pulse until the flour is coated with the butter and no pieces of butter are detectable. Put mixture into a bowl and follow rest of directions. Add Cream Cheese and, if desired, Almond Extract. Blend into the flour mixture until well mixed. With wet hands form into 24 walnut sized balls. Place a ball inside a muffin form and with wet hands press the dough so that it evenly covers the bottom and sides of the form. Repeat for all the dough balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. The shells will be lightly browned. Carefully remove each tart shell and cool on a rack. Fill with desired filling just before serving so that the shells stay crisp and flaky.

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