Gluten Free Bakewell Tart...er...Pudding - Daring Bakers June Challenge

The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.

My Bakewell Tart...er...pudding isn't even out of the oven yet and I can tell it's going to be fabulous! The first layer of a Bakewell Tart is the tart shell. I used the Tart Shell Crust recipe from Annalise Roberts Gluten-Free Baking Classics Cookbook. It's a first trying this particular recipe, but I've loved all of her recipes that I've tried, so I'm not worried about how it will turn out.

After making the tart shell and putting it (unbaked) in the freezer to chill, I started on the next layer - the jam. This can be any flavor that you want. I chose peach because I had some peaches in the freezer that I've been meaning to make into jam and now was as good a time as any to make it. I followed the recipe on the box of sure-jell pectin for peach freezer jam.

With the tart shell chilling and the jam setting up, it was time to move on to the delicious third and final layer - the frangipane. The recipe we were given to use was measured by weight and although a kitchen scale is on my list of things to own day own, it has not made it to the top of my wish list yet. Instead I did some research and came up with the following proportions:

Frangipane (for a 9 inch tart)

1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 Tablespoon gluten free flour mix

1 cup almonds ground finely in the food processor

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter sugar. Add eggs one at a time mixing until well blended. Add the almond extract, gluten free flour mix and ground almonds and combine.

Now it's time to assemble and bake the tart:

Spread the chilled tart shell with 1/2 - 2/3 cup jam. Spread the frangipane on top of the jam layer and place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. The tart should be browned and firm to the touch but slightly soft in the middle. Let the Bakewell Tart cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free Pancake Mix

Homemade pancakes are always a favorite, but when time does not allow it's nice to have a good mix on hand.  I've tried a few gluten free pancake mixes and most are decent, but one stands above the rest in my view:  Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix.  This mix produces light and fluffy pancakes and nobody will ever guess that they're gluten free.  We like them with blueberries or sprinkled with chocolate chips.

Gluten Free Multi-Flour Tortillas

Recently I was asked what I eat to get enough fiber in my diet.  As you may have guessed, gluten free products are usually lacking in fiber.  Here are a couple of things that I do to get the recommended 25-35 grams a day.  When it's time for a snack I usually stick to fruits, veggies, almonds, and popcorn.  I try to use brown rice instead of white and I eat beans at least once a day - usually with a quesadilla and salsa at lunchtime.  I usually use corn tortillas to make my quesadillas, but after adapting a recipe for gluten free rice flour tortillas by Bette Hagman, I might just switch over to using these - they've each got 5 grams of fiber and 160 calories.  Plus they're easy to make and taste great!  

GF Multi-Flour Tortillas

1 Cup Brown Rice Flour

1/2 cup Buckwheat Flour

1/2 cup Soy Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthum gum

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons milk powder

1 cup warm water

Put all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat on medium for 1 minute.  Divide dough into 6 equal parts.  Dust work surface with corn starch and roll out each piece very thin to form a 12" circle (unless you're a superstar roller, expect your circle to be a bit jagged around the edges like the picture above).  If you are going to roll them all out before cooking them, use plastic wrap to separate each tortilla so they don't stick together .  Otherwise, cook the first one while rolling out the next, continuing until you've done all 6.

To Cook:  Heat a large griddle to medium-hot and cook each tortilla 1-2 minutes per side. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.  These tortillas reheat nicely in the microwave.

Buen Provecho!