GINGER APPLE TART
One of the most celebrated recipes from my quarantine Instagram cooking show – The Ginger Apple Tart. We all know how tricky it is to master gluten-free plant-based and refined sugar-free baking is. This Apple tart is one of my biggest successes and it is part of my all-time all-season favorites. Enjoy this flavourful bake, made simple, and served gorgeously.
total prep & bake 60 min
makes 1 tart (6-8 servings)
ALL YOU NEED
for the perfect tart pastry
1 cup (220g) oat flour, gluten-free
100ml coconut oil
50g coconut sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) ice-cold water
1 tbsp fresh ginger root
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbs fresh lemon rind
fruit prep
2 red apples, sliced very thin
juice from 1 lemon
2-3 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
a pinch of ground clove
other ingredients
2-3 tbsp (30-40g) almond meal
a pinch of cinnamon
HOW TO MAKE
Place in a bowl the flour, sugar, ginger, lemon rind, and mix gently by hand or use a wooden spoon.
Add the coconut oil. squeeze it into the dry ingredients. Form a tiny hole in the middle and add the cold water and vinegar. Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. Don’t skip a tiny tasting here. The dough is the best. Once formed into a ball you are ready to roll it out. Shape into a 30 cm large disk and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
It’s time to prep the apples while the dough is being chilled. Cut the apples in super thin slices and make sure they stick together. You do that by holding the apple slices and gently removing the knife. Place them in a bowl, squeeze the lemon juice, add the sugar and spices and toss well to combine. Be mindful of keeping the apple slices stick to one another, за да може да се растелят като ветрило. Bring the dough out of the fridge, roll it out a bit more, remove the foil/wrap, place it onto a tray covered with non-stick baking paper, roll it once again. The dough thickness of 0,5-0,8cm is perfect! I’m sure it will crack at the edges, it’s a gluten-free bake, you can easily fix “glue” it by pressing the dough together using your fingers.
To assemble the tart, start with spreading almond meal in the center of the rolled dough. You could use any other ground nuts, but the almond meal is still the best choice because it will absorb any extra liquids and will still deliver on that rich nutty flavor. Place the apples, make them swirl in a spiral. And now you can go really wild and add blueberries. Fold in the edges. Press gently. Fix the edges if needed.
You are ready to spread magic aka coconut sugar and let it bake for approximately 30 minutes. Place it in the middle of the oven on both dimensions. If you didn’t make friends with your oven yes, I recommend to stay close and watch the last 5-10 minutes, to avoid burned top or edges.
Now play a song you love and dance it out, check Alice Sea – Fly. Fits perfectly.
Serve warm or chilled. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
I can’t wait to see your creations and inspirations.
Tag me on Instagram when you make it so I can celebrate with you!
SPRINKLE SOME MAGIC – THE TOPPINGS
A nice handful of blueberries, use fresh or frozen, will give the tart extra flavor and more color.
DELICIOUS NOTES:
Fruit substitute: use any seasonal fruits, but keep in mind that the recipe of the base works best with low or semi-juicy fruits. My first choices would be pears, apricots, followed by blood oranges, forest fruits. Strawberries are tricky, what I mean is that they loose lot’s of water during baking which may give as a result a bit too moist tart base. Here’s how to fix it – spread extra almond meal or finely ground oatmeal beneath the fruits. This should work. Let me know how it went for you.
Sweetener – you can use any sweetener you like, my preferred choice is coconut sugar as it adds a special sweetness and caramel flavor. The tart and apples are not that sweet and this is what I love about it. It creates an opportunity for sweet additions. Best served with ice cream, drizzle with maple syrup, accompanied by a cup of tea.
Size: could be made in three mini tarts, in this case, reduce the baking time to 20 mines or so, depending on your oven.