Cranberry-Cherry Tart with a nut
crust
(gluten-free, processed sugar-free with a dairy-free option)
I have a lot of tart cherries in my freezer that I picked from my parents' cherry trees this summer along with some frozen cranberries I got from a local farmer. Lately I have been craving both the cranberries and the cherries, and together they do make a great combination. I had made a traditional-type pie with a mixture of the two, but then I decided I wanted something just a little bit different to suit my personal tastes and came up with this recipe. I hope that you enjoy!
Cranberry-Cherry Filling
Ingredients
1 ½ cups of frozen cranberries
1 ½ cups of frozen tart cherries (pitted)
¾ cup of maple syrup
½ tsp almond extract
1 T of arrowroot powder
Put cherries and cranberries in a medium sized pot. Add
maple syrup. Put cover on and bring to a boil on high heat. Remove cover and
reduce heat to medium. Allow to simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or
reduced almost to your liking,
stirring occasionally throughout. Remove from heat and stir in arrowroot
powder. Return to heat for a minute or two. The mixture should thicken
considerably. Remove from heat, stir in almond extract and allow to cool for
half hour to an hour.
Tart Crust
Ingredients
½ cup of walnuts
½ cup of almonds
½ cup of sesame seeds
1 cup of gluten-free oats
1 T of coconut sugar
4 T of softened butter (salted) / coconut oil / unsalted
butter
3 T marmalade (I like Crofters Organic Just Fruit Seville
Orange Spread, sweetened only with white grape juice, but you can use whatever brand
you like of course, or maybe your own!)
Place all dry ingredients in blender and blend until you
have a fine – medium crumb. You may have to do this in batches depending on
your blender. A few small pieces of nuts left in the mixture are just fine. If processing
in batches be sure to thoroughly combine dry ingredients before adding butter.
Pour into a bowl and add the butter, working it into the mixture with your
fingers.
If you choose to use unsalted butter or coconut oil as a
replacement for the salted butter, add a pinch of salt to the mixture for taste
before adding the butter / oil.
Press crust mixture into the bottom of an ungreased
10" spring-form pan. Place into middle of a pre-heated oven (350 degrees) for 18 –
22 minutes, or until the crust begins to turn a light golden brown
Remove from oven and place on a cookie rack to cool. After
10 minutes, spread marmalade evenly over the crust. Allow to cool another 30
minutes or so.
Add the cooled filling mixture onto the crust mixture, cover
and chill in the fridge for an hour or so.
When ready to eat, top with whipped cream or greek yogourt sweetened with a teaspoon of honey or marmalade, (or use whipped coconut cream if you
prefer). Enjoy!
For those of you who have been there, you already know what I am talking about.
For those of you who haven't, here are a few pics that only begin to tell the
story. Pictures don't tell everything, though. The landscape, the people, the
appreciation of culture and history and ecology and poetry and music and art,
evident everywhere - all amazing. Unspoiled beauty. Where salt water and fresh
meet, where history and a vibrant future are tied together. It was all quite
humbling on a certain level and quite awe inspiring. Check it out.
