strawberry, pistachio & mascarpone tart

I’m really trying to embrace the gluten-free thing. Some days are a piece of cake (not literally unfortunately). Others are torturous. And some just really seem unfair. Still, we make the best of what we’ve got, right?

Here has what being gluten-free has taught me so far: 1. eating out is a pain 2. no more beer (this has to be the hardest to deal with yet) 3. always read the label 4. gluten-free pasta tastes like rubber 5. gluten free pizza is extra crispy 6. and gluten-free tart shells? Well, they are kind of fantastic.

For the first time in my baking career, I had the pleasure of working with black pastry dough. Of course it baked up much lighter, but the initial colour was this very dark, greenish-black that was flecked with tiny specks of light green, pinkish-red, and creamy yellow flecks of butter. I have to say, I think I really enjoyed it.

In Greece, we aren’t very clued up on the whole “without gluten” concept just yet. Luckily for me I was able to find a single brand of flour in the grocery store that I could eat… but YIKES, it was 6 euros!!! For flour that’s just a joke. What am I going to do though, just put nuts everywhere? That gets really heavy, & also pretty pricey.

In all fairness, I’ve been missing baked pastry so much that this was really worth the money.

…and the tart? Oh my goodness! I ate nearly the whole thing as soon as it was ready. You can’t beat the combination of strawberries & pistachios together. It’s almost like magic.

Tools/Equipment:

Electric Scale - Etekcity - http://amzn.to/2xkKpQk

Hand Mixer - Kenwood - http://amzn.to/2xkjowh Food Processor - Cuisinart - http://amzn.to/2xkkZqK

Tart Tin Loose Bottom 9.5” - Patisse - http://amzn.to/2xje3u2​

Organic GF Vanilla - Simply Organic - http://amzn.to/2xXdt2e

Buckwheat Flour - Anthony’s Organic - http://amzn.to/2xjRS6T

Ingredients, pastry: (makes two 20cm tarts) – 185g buckwheat flour – 125g raw, unsalted pistachios, shelled – 50g sugar – 105g unsalted butter, cold & cubed – 1 egg yolk – 45ml cold water

Directions, pastry: 1. combine the flour, sugar & pistachios in a food processor & process on high until the pistachios become a fine powder. Add in the butter, and pulse until the butter is roughly the size of peas. 2. add the egg yolk & water to the mix, and process just until the dough becomes to come together. Remove from the processor, form a ball, wrap tightly in cling-film & refrigerate for an hour or more. 3. once chilled, roll the dough out on a floured surface & then line a 20cm round loose-bottomed tart tin that has been greased with it. Poke holes throughout the dough with a fork. Place the dough in the freezer whilst the oven preheats to 205°C. 4. blind bake the dough for 13-15minutes (or until the edges start turning golden), remove the weights, & then bake for a further 3-5 minutes until the rest of the crust starts to get a little colour. 5. allow the crust to cool completely before filling.

Ingredients, mascarpone: – 500g mascarpone – 150g heavy cream – 60g dark brown sugar – 1 tsp vanilla extract – 1 lemon, zest only – 1kg fresh strawberries

Directions, mascarpone: 1. combine the cream, sugar, vanilla & zest in a bowl, give it a good mix & then set it in the fridge whilst the tart shell bakes. This will allow for the sugar to dissolve & the flavors to meld a little. 2. remove the bowl from the fridge, add in the mascarpone, and either with a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, mix on high until soft peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat or it will begin to curdle. 3. divide the mascarpone evenly between the two tart shells, and with the back of a spoon, spread it evenly. 4. wash, dry & cut your strawberries any way you desire, and then arrange them over the mascarpone. 5. it’s ready to serve….. try not to eat the whole tart in one sitting!

Tips: *** most people prefer to beat the heavy cream separately & then fold in the rest of the ingredients. Personally I prefer to do them all together because I find that everything distributes evenly. Having done both ways countless times, I haven’t found that it makes much of a difference. ***

#Pistachio #strawberry #buckwheat #cream #lemonzest