Chocolate and beetroot tart
In this recipe I have used 100% plain chocolate, but you can use plain xylitol chocolate, too. If you do, you won’t need quite as much Sweet Freedom/agave nectar.
Pastry 80 g (½ cup) Doves Farm gluten-free white bread flour blend/King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose baking mix 80 g (½ cup) Doves Farm gluten-free plain white flour blend/King Arthur gluten-free all-purpose baking mix 80 g (¾ stick) unsalted cold butter* 60 g (¼ cup) xylitol 2 tsp vanilla extract 1-3 tsp cold water Filling 150 g (5 ¼ oz) cooked beetroot 50 g (1 ¾ oz) 100% plain chocolate 150 ml (⅔ cup) double cream/heavy cream* 3 medium egg yolks 3-4 tbsp Sweet Freedom/agave nectar 1 tbsp corn flour/corn starch 2 tbsp cocoa powder + extra for dusting 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Start by making the pastry: put the flours, xylitol and butter into a mixing bowl and rub them together into a crumble with your fingertips. 2. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract into the crumble and use your fingers to combine it into a ball. If the pastry is too dry and doesn’t stick together, add a little water, ½ teaspoon at a time, until you can form a ball. 3. Take a 22 cm (8 ½ inch) non-stick loose-bottom tart tin/pan and press the pastry to the bottom and sides. Place it in a refrigerator while you heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. 4. When the oven is up to temperature, take the tart tin/pan out of the oven and prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork. Place some parchment paper on top of the pastry and fill with ceramic baking beans (you can also use pulses or rice if you don’t have baking beans). 5. Bake the pastry case for 10-15 minutes, until it’s cooked. Please note that gluten-free flour doesn’t brown in the same way as wheat flour, so your pastry will be pale. Remove the baking beans and set the baking tin/pan aside to cool while you prepare the filling. 6. Purée the beetroot in a blender, food processor or electric chopper. (You can also use a potato masher or a fork, but you may not be able to make the purée smooth. However, it doesn’t matter if the your purée is a little coarse.) 7. Put the egg yolks, sweetener, corn flour/starch, cocoa powder and vanilla extract into a large jug or bowl and mix them thoroughly. Set them aside for the time being. 8. Put the cream, beetroot and chocolate into a large saucepan and gently heat the mixture, stirring constantly. When the chocolate has melted and the mixture has come to the boil, take the saucepan off the heat and slowly pour the mixture into the jug while whisking all the time. 9. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan (or if you detect any signs of burning on the bottom or the sides of the saucepan, transfer to a fresh saucepan) and gently heat without boiling until the mixture has thickened. This should take 1-2 minutes. If the mixture starts to separate, this means that it has over-heated. You can get it back to a smooth consistency by taking the saucepan off the heat and cooling the mixture by whisking it vigorously until it becomes smooth again. 10. Let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, then pour it into the tart tin/pan. Let the filling cool to room temperature, then place the tart in a refrigerator for at least 4 hours. 11. Dust the tart with some cocoa powder, loosen it from its tin/pan and cut to slices. Serve on its own or with some vanilla cream or custard. *Substitutions To make this tart lactose-free, use vegetable margarine instead of butter and lactose-free cream instead of ordinary cream. Copyright © Tarja Moles. Photograph © Tarja Moles. If you'd like to use this recipe in your ezine or on your website, you’re welcome to do so as long as you use the complete recipe, including the copyright line, and include the following paragraph in its entirety: Tarja Moles is the author of No Naughties®: Sweet Treats without Sugar, Wheat, Gluten and Yeast. Visit www.nonaughties.com for free recipes and information on special diets and living with multiple dietary restrictions. Back to Recipes |
Serves 6-8 Gluten-free Wheat-free Sugar-free Yeast-free Soya-free Nut-free Peanut-free Vegetarian Lactose-free* |
