Every month, all of my mom's family that lives in the valley gets together for Family Home Evening. Which obviously requires treats. Now that we're all trying to be herbivores, momma needed to make something delicious AND non-dairy, which is pretty hard to do for a dessert. So she turned to "The Sugar Solution" by Sari Harrar and the editors of Prevention magazine, and this is what she found: Raspberry Almond Tart.
Now. I should tell you. In the recipe below, I'll make some comments/suggestions. And to avoid muddying up the recipe too much, I'll write more below. But be sure to read through them before embarking on this delicious journey. Oh and don't forget to check out the sweet nutritional info at the bottom! Bonus =)
Here we go!
Raspberry Almond Tart
CRUST
2/3 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup whole grain pastry flour
1 tablespoon sugar (you'll probably want to at least double this)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (for fluffier crust, add more--which I recommend)
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil (substitute with coconut oil for tastiness' sake)
2-3 tablespoons plain yogurt (use soy yogurt for dairy-free)
1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (optional) (but not optional if you know what's good for you)
FILLING
1/4 cup raspberry 100% fruit jam
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups raspberries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Preheat oven to 375. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
To make the crust:
In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in oil and yogurt to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. If the dough is too stiff, add additional yogurt.
Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet and, using lightly oiled hands, pat evenly into a 10-inch circle. Place a 9-inch cake pan right-side up on the dough and trace around the bottom of the pan with a sharp knife, being careful to score only the surface of the dough. With your fingers, push up and pinch the dough around the outside of the pan to make a 9-inch crust with a rim 1/4-inch high. Remove the cake pan. Bake for 12 minutes on the baking sheet. Scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the surface of the crust and bake until the chocolate is melted and the crust is firm and golden; 3-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread the chocolate over the crust to make an even layer. Set aside and cool.
To make the filling and assemble:
In a small, microwavable bowl, combine the jam and almond extract. Microwave on high for 10-15 seconds, or until melted. Brush a generous tablespoon evenly over the crust. Arrange the raspberries evenly over the crust. Brush the remaining jam evenly over the berries, making sure to get some of the jam between the berries to secure them. Sprinkle with almonds.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the jam has jelled. Makes 8 servings.
Per serving: 138 calories, 3 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams dietary fiber, 5 grams total fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 43 milligrams sodium.
Alrighty! So, my family had mixed feelings about this. I personally loved it (ate two slices), but my dad, bless his heart, was hankering for something sweeter. After some crunching and munching and hemming and hawing, we decided the tart's Achilles heel is the crust.
The consistency is a bit too dense and flavorless to be the kind of dessert you'd be proud to share with your sugar-and-heavy-whipping-cream-loving neighbors. So the suggestions above would be a great starting point, but I think you could alter it a bit further. You could consider adding a bit of honey or agave to the crust to sweeten it naturally, and I'd be so daring as to even add a dollop of whipped coconut milk! (Chill a can of coconut milk overnight, scoop out the heavy top layer, add a bit of vanilla and cinnamon, and beat = deliciousness.)
That said, I only tried the recipe the way it was printed in the book--haven't tried alterations. Feel free to experiment! And when you do, tell me what you discover!
But remember, I did eat two slices of it just the way it is =)
Bon apetit!
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