Gluten Free Vanilla Fruit Tart
While I am constantly looking for ways to improve the nutrition profile of recipes, this particular dessert isn’t the healthiest, but holy mother of awesomeness is it yummy. More on that, and the healthier version, as you read on near the bottom. Anyway…
My family is loaded with good cooks and excellent bakers so I have no idea why they think I’m so special in this regard. I might love it more than they do, and I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who looks forward to driving alone in the car so I can think of new ways to use basil or grapefruit zest, but whatever. Needless to say, this familial gift for food creation leads to some pretty awesome culinary gatherings.
The inspiration…
My sister…no idea which one…showed up one year when I was a teenager with a tart that eventually became my inspiration for a whole line of desserts. I’ve altered it so many times, but there’s one thing that’s fairly consistent – the crust is shortbread, not a standard pastry crust. Between the years of first tasting that, and then when I threw myself into perfecting this dessert, I’d tried many tarts, always comparing them to my introduction to this pastry, and they always fell short. It’s the crust. This crust makes this dessert, and it couldn’t be easier. As I searched the net recently to try to find the original (it was in Better Homes or something), I can see that the base recipe has indeed been resurrected so apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought typical pastry crust was a lame base for tarts.
The challenges with gluten free…
When I broke up with gluten to tackle some health issues (rheumatoid arthritis, among others), I eventually began selling gluten free desserts. The results were frustrating at best. Where at one time this gluten-laden crust stayed where I put it, when I used gluten free flours the end-result would provide something that shrunk down the sides of my pan, cracked, crumbled, and separated from itself. Getting it out of the tart pan and sliding it onto a serving dish was anxiety-inducing – I was selling these, and to me, it’s unacceptable to put my name on something sub-par. I found I could freeze the crust, and because of the butter it would hold together so that I could move it, but I still had that shrinkage issue, and the edges would crack so my pretty scalloping was ruined. Basically, I just wasn’t satisfied. It tasted good, but it only looked fine. That bugged me because I have a thing with “fine.” Fine is not good enough. Ultimately, I tried everything to remedy this but ran into the proverbial wall. This, I became convinced, was as good as it was going to get. *sigh*
To top it all off, as I delved deeper into the world of nutrition to address my autoimmune diseases I became increasingly concerned about the health implications of the starches in gluten free foods and flours. They’re almost all starch, horrible for your gut and entire system, possibly deadly for someone with diabetes. It’s frustrating. How could I mitigate this effect? I kind of gave up, but then something magical appeared in my life and it’s called Kfibre. I’ll come back to that.
Flour choices in this recipe…
You have some options here.
Door #1 – First, you can use a straight 1 1/2 cups of regular wheat flour. If you choose this however, please look into using einkorn. Many people with a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten don’t have issues with this unhybridized wheat. It won’t fly if you have an allergy or celiac, but worth a try if that’s not the issue for you.
Door #2 – Gluten free flour…I recommend some blend made from superfine grains without added leaveners like baking soda and powder. Have you ever have gluten free products that are gritty?…it’s because they aren’t from superfine-ground grains. If you do use this option it’s often helpful to use a binder like xanthan gum, as it behaves like gluten in that it’s like the glue that holds all of this together. You can absolutely use 1 1/2 cups of a gluten free flour blend in this, just add 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum, but in my experience, you’ll still have the shrinking and cracking….keep reading if you want to fix that though. All that said, however, I have to tell you I’m not thrilled about about xanthan, especially if you have gut issues. That’s why I really like the last option…
Door #3 – A modified flour blend using Kfibre. To save time in revamping some of my gluten free recipes once I got my hot little hands on Kfibre, I tapped into the gluten free trailblazers who’ve dedicated Lord only knows how many hours to coming up with various flour options. For several of my recipes, I’ve settled on using this gluten free blend, modified: I use arrowroot instead of potato starch (lower GI), and eliminate xanthan altogether. I can skip the xanthan because Kfibre acts, in part, as a binder. Let’s get back to that.
Kfibre…
When I became aware of Kfibre I’d been tasked with the job of testing this for a chef I know. He loves to cook, but insists he cannot bake a cookie to save his life. As the gluten free baker, he wanted me to run with it and tell him how it performed. And run with it I did, as I put my own spin on it because really, I’m selfish. I wanted to know if it would improve my desserts and eliminate my frustration with GF pastries. So as I baked I was looking for things like texture, binding, shelf-life, and aftertaste. I could not have been more pleased with the results. I ended up with about 50 before and after shots, and 3 pages of notes covered in smears of chocolate, coconut oil and dried dough. Cracking and shrinkage were no longer a problem and there was no discernible change in the taste or palate texture. It was quickly renamed “Fairy Dust” in my home because I have no real idea how or why it vastly improves gluten free pastries, I only know it works. In my mind it shouldn’t make this much of a difference, but it does.
In addition to my love of all things kitchen, I’ve also had a lifelong geek-like interest (obsession) with nutrition. Couple that with the fact that I’m a nerd and I like to research…prrrrrretty much anything remotely interesting to me….my eyes bugged out as I read up about Kfibre and I got all excited. Essentially, not only did I have something that vastly improved my pastries, but this magical powder, it turns out, is like some kind of super fiber that has the potential to impact health and healing in amazing ways. And since I help coach people through a gut-healing program to address health issues, every part of me stood up and cheered.
Derived from non-GMO sugarcane, Kfibre is extracted without chemicals or being superheated, unlike many refined products. What remains is a nutrient-dense, mostly insoluble prebiotic fiber (meaning it feeds probiotics – you want that) with almost all of the sugar removed, having no known allergens. What’s more is it naturally doesn’t contain phytic acid. Common to many fiber supplements and known as an “anti-nutrient,” phytic acid is, to keep it simple, nature’s naturally occurring repellent, and it’s heavily concentrated in all grains, seeds, nuts and legumes, principally in the bran, or hull. Not only can phytic acid prevent the absorption of the nutrients in the food from which it’s derived, it has the ability to bind with other critical minerals you’ve just consumed, like calcium, zinc, magnesium, and the list goes on. As if that isn’t enough, it can also block enzymes needed to break down food in your stomach. I know…doesn’t that sound like a smokin’ deal?! So basically, all those wheat and oat bran muffins everyone was so excited about 20 years ago? Yeah….not the best idea. Phytic acid can be removed, but the food containing it has to be properly prepared to accomplish this. I’m going way out on a limb here (not really) and bet that most companies with fiber products on the market don’t do that.
Add to all that nerdy information that this product can mitigate glucose production, and I was all starry-eyed because the amount of starches in gluten free baked goods concerns me. If I can replace some of those starches with this fiber product, I’ll not only reduce the amount of starches consumed, but I can mitigate the glucose spike of what’s left. That is a smokin’ deal, and I say that without an ounce of the fluent sarcasm with which I’m blessed. I was totally sold.
Back to the recipe…
…and back to ways I try to improve the nutrition profile of recipes, and the holy-mother-of-awesomeness-is-it-yummy thing – I am working on the dairy and refined sugar-free version of this, and as soon as I have it perfected, y’all will be like the 27th to know. You have no idea how many children, neighbors, staff at my kids’ school office and family members are my beta testers, so don’t take it personally. And contrary to popular belief, it’s a love-hate relationship as I present them with yet another sample-size cake or tartlet and beg them to try, “Just one more!” They all still remember that grain-free carrot cake I tried back in 2014 – literally made me gag and I swear there are times I can still taste it in my mouth like phantom-limb syndrome. I’ve fixed it, and that’s coming up as well, but it left a mark. And when they get sick of all the samples, I tromp over to the firehouse across the street. Those guys never turn me down. And they’re so much fun to look at. But I digress. 😉
Shortbread is awesome. Adding zest makes it awesomeness personified. Lime is my favorite, but for this version, I used heirloom oranges. It’s best to cream it in with the butter, but I forgot and added it after the fact, so it shows prominently here. It will take a few minutes to work the shortbread around to get an even spread, so be a little patient and be sure to work it up the sides or the pan to create a good vessel for the filling and fruit.
White chocolate. I have to admit this is what largely makes me blanch about this recipe. First of all, I personally don’t think there is any such animal, but some white chocolate products do contain cocoa butter, so…kinda, I guess. Most, however, are really just a combination of really bad fats, high fructose corn syrup and chemicals that will slowly kill you. Now you can see my trepidation with this and why I have put off posting this recipe. There are many homemade versions of white chocolate online, but I’ve never tried them. If you do, let me know how they work out for you. I’ll be experimenting as well for the version I mentioned above.
Fruit topping recommendations?
Oh man…go crazy. I’ve been making this for a couple decades now and I can attest that strawberries and blueberries are great on this, but there is just something extraordinary about kiwi and pineapple. And if you use pineapple, you can use the juice it releases and leaves in the container as the base for the glaze. Stone fruit like nectarines and cherries are also delicious, as are mangoes. The shocking pink fruit in the tartlet photo is dragon fruit. It’s pretty, but doesn’t have much flavor, and sometimes it’s white…just FYI because everyone asks what it is. Really, you can’t go wrong. Except for papaya. I hate papaya. But I always hate papaya…you might love it.
Keep it minimal and make a design with the fruit, or pile it on, it’s really your call. I’ve kept it simple and made it with a sparse amount of fruit, and I’ve also layered it for the tartlets. I’ve piled it on when stone fruits have come into season, and I’ve made it into a star for 4th of July. Basically, this part is versatile and you can’t go wrong.
If you want to make 4″ tartlets instead of using an 11″ pan, it should yield 6- 8. As you spread the dough, you’ll notice that it’s not a deep crust. If you do use tarlets reduce your baking time to about….15 minutes. Remove it from the oven when the edges are golden brown. Regular flour, including einkorn, tends to take less time to bake than gluten-free flour blends.
I hope you love this favorite! Let me know how yours turns out!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20-22 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 3/4 c butter, slightly softened
- 1 Tbsp fresh orange zest loose, not packed
- 1/2 c powdered sugar if you'd like to use unrefined, powder in a blender 1/2 c coconut sugar and 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot
- 1 1/2 c gluten free flour mixture For best results use 1 cup GF flour and 1/2 cup Kfibre, see notes about flour options, Doors #2 & 3
- 1 cup white chocolate see notes
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 c goat yogurt or sour cream
- 2-4 cups rinsed, cut up fruit of your choice see notes on recommendations
- 1/3 c pineapple juice
- 1 tsp lime juice 1 lime is plenty to provide this
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Fruit
Glaze
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- Cream butter, zest and powdered sugar together with a mixer. Add flour and Kfibre (optional) and beat until combined. It may appear crumbly, but it's perfect if it comes together when pressed in your hands and forms a smooth ball. If it's sticky, place it in the refrigerator for 5 minutes and it will be easier to press into your pan.
- In a double boiler, melt white chocolate until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat softened cream cheese, vanilla, and yogurt. Add melted white chocolate and beat until it's completely combined.
- Rinse and pat dry any fruit you're using. Allow any cut-up fruit to sit on a paper towel so any extra juices will not bleed and spread across the filling or seep into the crust.
- Combine arrowroot and lime juice in a small saucepan and whisk until smooth. Add pineapple juice. Stirring constantly, heat over medium on your stove until the mixture thickens. Remove it from heat and allow it to cool a bit before brushing it over the fruit.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Press dough into an 11" tart pan (see options for other sizes above). If you're using aluminum pans you're going to want to grease them heavily. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. To move the tart to a serving dish it's often easiest if the crust is chilled first. Place the entire pan over some flat container, like a wide glass, to remove the outer tart ring. Slide a long knife between the metal bottom of the pan and the crust and work it around slowly until you feel the crust separate from the pan. Slide it onto your serving dish where you can add filling, fruit, and glaze.
Pour filling onto cooled crust and smooth it with a spatula, working it near the edges of the crust. Place back into the refrigerator to firm up the filling while you're preparing the fruit and glaze. Rinse and pat dry any fruit you're using, and arrange as you like. When the glaze is cooled a bit, brush over the fruit and filling, but try to avoid brushing the crust to prevent it from becoming soggy.
The crust and filling can be made and assembled a few days in advance, but do not add the fruit and glaze until the last few hours before serving.
*organic