Nutty Grapefruit Tart

*Could easily be transformed into a refreshingly different meringue pie!

INGREDIENTS

CRUST

• 1 1/4 c GF flour
• 1/2 c almond meal
• 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2T honey
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/3 c unsalted butter, melted

FILLING

• 1 1/2 c grapefruit juice
• 1/3 c honey
• 3T corn starch

• 3 egg yolks, room temp, beaten
• 6T butter, cut roughly into tablespoon size chunks
• (a bit of beet juice for color, if you're adventurous)

TOPPING

• 1/4 c unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional)
• 1/3 c slivered almonds (?? deciding what nut works best, pistachios were ok)
• 2T honey
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
• 1t vanilla

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven at 400; butter a large pie pan (parchment paper is a good idea, too)
• Combine all dry crust ingredients
• Drizzle in butter while stirring until combined
• Press into pie pan evenly; bake 5-8 minutes; set aside to cool slightly

• Put juice, honey, and cornstarch in a saucepan; break up the corn starch lumps by hand
• Medium heat, whisking regularly until bubbly, thickened, and translucent 
• Slowly whisk half the hot mixture into the egg yolks; when incorporated, add the rest
• (I use two sauce pans here just to minimize a transfer)
• Cook the egg-juice mixture another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly
• Remove from heat, add butter, whisk until incorporated
• Pour mixture into crust, smooth the top, cover with cling wrap
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours

• Before serving, make whipped cream and candied nuts (photo shown with raw pistachios- false advertising)
• Toast the flaked coconut (optional)
• Add toppings artfully! 

Chocolate Beet Cake

Gluten free, low sugar chocolate cake made with puréed red beets-- the REAL Red Velvet cake!

Adapted from a recipe in the AMAZING Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook.  I use a Vitamix a couple times in this recipe, but a food processor for the beets and an electric mixer/beaters could be used for the whipped cream.

INGREDIENTS

-6 medium/large red beets
-2/3 cup warm water

-1 stick unsalted butter, softened
-1/2 cup coconut oil, softened + more for greasing pan(s)
-3 eggs
-1/3 cup honey
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla

-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 1/4 cup gluten free baking flour mix
-1/4 cup almond flour
-2 tsp baking soda
-1/3 tsp salt
- 1 to 3 ounces grated dark chocolate

-1 pint organic heavy whipping cream
-1 cup fresh, rinsed raspberries
-1 tsp xanthan gum
-1/2 tsp vanilla powder


DIRECTIONS

Preheat over to 350.  Scrub beets and remove greens.  Cut in half, lengthwise. Wrap in a package of foil and place on baking sheet.  Roast for 35-40 minutes until tender.  Keep oven on for the cake!  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, while you mix together dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls (see below).  Place cooked beets in Vitamix with warm water and purée until smooth.

In a standing mixer bowl, combine all wet ingredients: butter, coconut oil, eggs, honey, vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: GF flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, grated chocolate.

Add puréed beets to wet ingredients until well combined.  Add dry ingredients and blend until well combined.  Pour batter into 2- 8 inch cake pans, greased GENEROUSLY with coconut oil.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.  Allow cake to cool completely on a wire rack.  (NOTE: Invert one cake onto the cake pan if you are making a double layered-cake.  A double layered cake will require a firmer filling than the whipped cream suggested below.)

Using Vitamix, combine heavy whipping cream and vanilla powder on LOW while pouring in xanthan gum through the lid.  Increase speed and beat until cream is stiff.  Pipe whipped cream over cake (there should be plenty extra for another use!) and top with raspberries.

Cake has a deep reddish color and is ridiculously moist and tasty!  Cake freezes well.  Makes great brownies if you bake in a square pan.  This is a WINNER!