Grain-Free Lemon Tart

It all started with this beautiful bag of organic lemons. They called to me on my trip the grocery store this morning, and they were so bright and cheerful, well... I just had to take them home with me!

They sat on the counter all afternoon, smiling at me with their dazzling yellowness, while lemon recipes swirled thru my brain. I finally settled on a lemon tart, and did a quick search on Pinterest.  My search came up with a ton of recipes, but none of them matched the ingredients I had to work with, and I was REALLY not wanting to make another trip to the grocery store (who knows what else would have called to me!!) So, there the lemons sat, looking like a bright little spot of sunshine on my counter, while my own creation worked itself out in my head. I love it when a recipe works the first time out of the gate. It is bright and lemony and tart, exactly what I was aiming for.  I kept the sweetener to a minimum, using dates as the sweetener for the base, and honey to sweeten the creamy lemon topping. I wanted the tart lemon flavor to shine, and shine it does! The crust is soft, and not really crumbly, it holds its own well against the smooth creamy filling on top. If you love lemon, you have to make these!

Grain Free Lemon Tart

Crust:

8 dates

1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened!!)

1 ½ cup pecans

4 Tbsp arrowroot flour

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1 egg

Filling:

5 eggs

½ cup liquid honey

2 Tbsp arrowroot flour

1/3 cup almond flour(finely ground, I like JK Gourmet)

Zest from 2 lemons (organic!!!)

¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (6ish lemons?)

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F

Whiz dates in food processor until they are chopped and come together in a ball. 

Add the coconut, arrowroot, pecans and salt. Whiz until evenly ground, like coarse sand. Add the egg and coconut oil, and process until it comes together in a wet ball.

Press evenly into springform pan , and bake for 10 minutes in the center of the oven.  Remove from oven and set aside till needed. 

While it is baking, measure filling ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Whiz with a hand blender until well blended. Pour into pre-baked crust and bake again for 20 -25 minutes.

Remove from oven when the filling is set and just starting to ever so slightly brown.

Let stand for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack to cool. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and remove the outside of the springform pan. Cool to room temp before cutting. 

Store leftovers in the fridge.

Grain Free Chocolate Walnut Donuts

These little lovelies are a perfect treat when you want comfort food without the guilt (well, not too much guilt…)  They remind me of one of my favourite donuts from my old wheat eating days, without the gut issues and sugar crash!   I find them best the first day; they were a bit dry on the second day. Like most grain free baked goods, they do freeze well, so I would recommend freezing for storage, if they hang around long enough!

Grain Free Chocolate Walnut Donuts

4 eggs

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

½ cup sour cream

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup coconut flour

¼ cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup arrowroot starch

¼ cup chick pea flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

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Add-in:

¾ cup chopped walnuts (no big pieces! )

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Topping:

¼ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life)

2 tsp coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375F.

Grease donut pan with a rubber basting brush or piece of paper towel and butter, ensuring you cover the entire inside surface. Set aside.

Mix all ingredients up to the add-ins together in an 8 cup mixing bowl with an immersion blender. Scrape sides of bowl when needed and mix until well blended. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the first amount of chopped walnuts and stir until well mixed. 

Scrape batter into a medium sized zip-top baggie, squeeze out the excess air and zip closed. Snip the end (alternatively, if you have an icing bag and a large tip, use that)

 and pipe into greased donut pans, filling each cavity about half way. 

Repeat with second pan or bake for approx 12 minutes, remove from oven, tip donuts from pan onto a wire rack. Let the pan cool before refilling to bake second batch. (This amount should make 24 small donuts; adjust your cooking time if your pans are larger.) 

While your donuts are baking, in a double boiler or a heat safe bowl set over a pot of just simmering hot water, (don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl!) gently melt the chocolate chips and the coconut oil together. Stir until smooth, and leave over barely simmering water until needed. 

When donuts are all cooked and cooled, drizzle with the melted chocolate, and then sprinkle with the ¼ cup of chopped walnuts. Let stand until chocolate drizzle firms up. (Refrigerate for 15 min if you want to serve them quickly!) 

Best eaten the same day, they tend to be a bit dry on the second day. Keep leftovers in fridge for 3-4 days or freeze.