Lemon Tart with Blackberry Topping
from Lewis Freedman’s The Great Life Cookbook: Whole Food, Gluten-Free Meals for Large Gatherings
Prep Notes: This recipe makes 3 (9-inch) pies, which serves 20 to 27 people. To make this oil-free, simply omit the crust, gel the bottom in parfait glasses, and layer on the cooled topping. Agar powder can be substituted for the flakes, at ¼ the volume. If using powder, whisk longer and thoroughly to avoid clumping. When putting together a shopping list, look at both parts of this recipe as the following ingredients are used more than once: almonds, maple syrup, rice syrup, almond extract, vanilla extract, lemons, and agar-agar.
Crust
1½ cups raw almonds
2¼ cups gluten-free or regular rolled oats
2¼ cups brown rice flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup safflower oil
½ cup pure maple syrup
½ cup brown rice syrup
½ teaspoon almond extract
¾ cup water
1. Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast in oven at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned all through. Do the same with the oats, toasting them for about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Blend toasted oats into flour with food processor or blender.
3. Blend almonds until the texture is as fine as flour.
4. In a large bowl, stir almonds, oat flour, rice flour and salt together.
5. In a separate bowl, add remaining ingredients, and then stir into the dry ingredients, mixing it all with a large spoon.
6. Press mixture into 3 oiled pie pans.
7. Bake crusts at 350 degrees until browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Lemon Filling
1½ cups raw almonds
4 lemons
6 cups unsweetened almond milk
1½ cups brown rice syrup
1½ cups pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt
9 tablespoons agar-agar flakes
1½ teaspoons almond extract
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Blanch and remove the skins from the almonds. Bring 1 quart of water to boil. Add almonds and let boil for 5 minutes. Replace the hot water with cold water. Squeeze the almonds between your fingers to remove the skins. Discard skins.
2. Remove zest from lemons with a zester or fine grater. Set aside.
3. Squeeze juice from lemons (~¾ cup).
4. In blender, mix together almonds, almond milk, syrups, salt and lemon juice until smooth.
5. Heat blended mixture in a pot. Add agar-agar and bring to a boil.
6. Remove from heat. Add extracts and lemon zest.
7. Pour into prepared crusts.
8. Set aside until firm.
Blackberry Topping
2 lemons
5 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)
2¼ cups apple juice
Pinch of sea salt
1½ cups brown rice syrup
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
6 tablespoons agar-agar flakes
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons arrowroot stirred into and dissolved in ½ cup water
1. Remove the zest from the lemons and squeeze juice from lemons
(~¹/³ cup).
2. Place all ingredients in a pot except arrowroot mixture and lemon zest. Start cooking at medium heat.
3. When the mixture begins to boil, add the dissolved arrowroot, stirring constantly for a minute.
4. Reduce heat, add lemon zest, and stir for a few more minutes. Remove from heat when the fruit mixture starts to thicken.
5. Let cool until thickened, 1 hour or longer. Top the firm pies with this blackberry topping.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
