Cooking for Two: Raspberry Tarts for Valentine’s Day
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here is a delightfully simple, yet stunningly beautiful Raspberry Tart that is just perfect for a romantic dinner for two. Your significant other will be impressed.
Raspberry Tarts for Two
But for many—including me—cooking for two is a year-round event. Awhile back, I realized that I was cooking with 4-to-6-serving recipes that yielded way too much food for just my husband and me. He hates leftovers; I hate throwing away food. This went on for years. Then I asked myself, “Why cook full-size meals for just two people?”
At the same time, I began noticing “cooking-for-two” products (e.g., frozen meals) for mainstream diets, but no cookbooks for gluten-free households. The idea for Gluten-Free Cooking for Two was born and it publishes in April, 2017. To see what’s in it, go HERE.
Raspberry Tart in Buttery Crust
Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free Cooking for Two: 125 Favorites by Carol Fenster (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April, 2017)
These cute little tarts are so simple, yet so gorgeous. The best part is that you just press the dough into the tart pans—no rolling pin needed! The fluted edge of the tart pans automatically shapes the dough. You will only use half of the dough, so freeze it the other half for a later pair of tarts. I like these tarts with a dollop of whipped cream or plain yogurt, but they are delicious just by themselves.
BUTTERY CRUST
1/2 cup Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see below)
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt or 1/16 teaspoon (pinch) if using buttery spread
1/8 teaspoon (dash) xanthan gum
1/16 teaspoon (pinch) baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or buttery spread
3 tablespoon milk of choice
RASPBERRY FILLING
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons good-quality raspberry jam (I like Bonne Maman, found in grocery stores)
1 to 2 teaspoons water
[1] Place racks in the bottom and middle positions of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375⁰F.
[2] In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour blend, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, sugar, salt, xanthan gum, and baking soda until well blended. With an electric mixer on Low speed, beat in the butter and milk on low speed until small clumps form. If the dough shapes into a cohesive ball with your hands, it is ready. If not, beat in water,(a 1 teaspoon at a time,) until the dough is ready. Knead the dough with your hands until it is very smooth.
[3] Divide the dough in half and freeze one -half, tightly wrapped, for another use. Divide the remaining dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Place one ball in the center of a 3.5 to 4-inch nonstick tart pan. With your fingers, press the dough evenly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough in the second tart pan. Place both pans on a rimmed baking sheet. With a fork, prick the bottoms and sides of the dough a few times.
[4] Bake the tarts on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes. Shift the pans to the next middle rack and bake for another 10 minutes or until the edges of the pastry start to brown. Remove the pans from the oven and cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.
[5] Arrange the raspberries in a single layer in the two crusts. Whisk the water into the jam until it reaches a glazing consistency. Heat the jam in the microwave on Low power just until the jam is melted, about 5 seconds. Pour the jam over the raspberries in each crust and use a pastry brush or fork to nudge the jam into the nooks and crannies between the raspberries and out to the edges of the crust. Let cool for at least 1 hour before serving.
Makes 2 tarts (each 3.5 to 4-inches in diameter)
Preparation time: 10 minutes; Baking time: 10 to 15 minutes
Per tart: 385calories; 2g protein; 18g total fat; 5g fiber; 55g carbohydrates; 47mg cholesterol; 192mg sodium
Gluten-Free Flour Blend
1 ½ cups brown rice flour (or sorghum flour)
1 ½ cups potato starch
1 cup tapioca starch/flour
Whisk together until thoroughly blended. Store, tightly covered, in a dark, dry place.
