Cranberry Orange Tart (Paleo, Gluten-free, Dairy-free) & Pompeian Grapeseed Oil

I had this bag of cranberries left over from Thanksgiving that was begging to be used up, and it had been far too long since I'd made any kind of a curd.  The folks at Pompeian sent me a bottle of their grapeseed oil spray, and it gave me the perfect idea: a cranberry orange tart that would give me the chance to use up my cranberries, make a curd, and finally do something with my tart pan.

I am so pleased with how this tart turned out!  Just looking at it makes me really happy.  The cranberry orange curd is just tart enough, but still plenty sweet thanks to the honey.  The crust is a delicious combination of almonds and pecans with a touch of Pompeian olive oil.  The whipped cream on top seals the deal.  Also, how gorgeous are those cranberries and those orange zest curls?  I'm obsessed with looking at pictures of this tart.  And also with eating it.  I did share some with my mom, though, and she said it was one of the best things I've ever made!  If you don't have cranberries on hand, this tart would also be fabulous with any other kind of curd--try classic lemon, dairy-free lemon, or strawberry.  The curd possibilities are endless!  This cranberry orange curd would be equally delicious on pancakes, toast, scones or ice cream if you don't feel like making a tart.  A jar of curd also makes a wonderful homemade gift!

Fruit & Frangipane Galettes with Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Happy Fourth!  I'm sitting on my couch, listening to all the illegal fireworks popping down on my street, feeling full and happy.  

My mom and my good friend Annetta came over today.  Ben grilled hamburgers, Annetta brought pasta salad, my mom brought brie, and I made red, white, and bleu macaroni and cheese.  The best part was that Annetta came early and helped me make these galettes.  We had so much fun!  Galettes are like pies but easier since you don't have to fit the dough into a pan or trim it or anything.  I actually think they're prettier, too!  These galettes have a layer of delicious frangipane inside, and you can make them with pretty much any kind of fruit.

I made the galette dough and the frangipane last night, so it was easy to roll out the dough and assemble the galettes this afternoon.  It's great to be able to prep the components in advance and then throw it all together right before dinner.

Galettes need ice cream on top, at least in the summer.  I was going to just make vanilla bean ice cream, but then I saw the extra raspberry coulis that I made to go with my panna cotta sitting in the fridge.  That stuff was begging to be swirled into the ice cream!  In the end, I think it was the best ice cream I've ever made.  You have to try it!  There wasn't even quite enough raspberry coulis left for my tastes--next time I'm going to put in more.

The galette recipe is adapted from Alexandra Cooks and the ice cream is adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop via Annie's Eats.

Ingredients for the galettes (serves about 8):

Dough (recipe below)
Frangipane (recipe below)
4 small or 2 large stone fruits or 2 cups of berries, or a combination
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 teaspoons sugar

For the galette dough (makes two 9-inch galettes):

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, cold
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water, plus extra if necessary

To make the dough, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until well mixed.  Cut the butter into chunks and add them to the bowl of the food processor.  Process using short pulses until the butter is the size of peas.  Add the ice water and stir with a fork until the dough comes together into a mass, adding more ice water a little at a time if necessary.  Divide the dough into two even balls, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use (dough can be made up to a week ahead).

For the frangipane (makes about a cup; you'll have extra):

1 cup ground almonds (almond flour) and/or pecans (I used a mix of almond flour and pecans I ground in the food processor)
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum, brandy, or bourbon (optional)

Pulse all ingredients in the food processor (bonus: you don't have to wash it out if you just made the dough in it) until smooth.  Store in the refrigerator for up to one week until ready to use.

To assemble the galettes, preheat the oven to 400.   Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until it forms an 11-inch circle, adding flour as needed so it doesn't stick.  Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate while you roll out the other piece in the same way.

Switch the cookie sheets so you're working with the chilled circle of dough and the one you just rolled out is in the fridge.  Spread about 1/4 cup of frangipane on the dough, leaving a two inch border around the edge.  If using stone fruits, pit them and slice them 1/2 inch thick.  Layer the fruit on top of the frangipane.  We used 2 plums for one galette and a heaping cup of blueberries for the other.  Moving around the edge of the dough, fold in overlapping segments of dough to encase the filling (it's easy to do because these galettes are supposed to look rustic!).  Refrigerate that galette while you prep the other.

Brush the dough of both galettes with melted butter, and sprinkle about two teaspoons of sugar over the fruit and dough of each galette.  Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown on top but not burned on the bottom.  Cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream on top.

Ingredients for the ice cream (serves 6):

2 cups heavy cream, divided
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
1 cup milk (I use 2%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry coulis

In a medium saucepan, stir together half the cream with the sugar and salt.  Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the mix, and throw the pod in, too.  Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is all dissolved.

Stir in the rest of the cream, the milk, and the vanilla.  Refrigerate the mixture until it's totally chilled (I'm impatient, so I usually stick mine in the freezer for about an hour).  Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in your ice cream maker.

In the bottom of an airtight container (freezing this container beforehand is a nice touch on a hot day), spoon a layer of raspberry coulis.  Top with a layer of ice cream, and continue to layer the coulis and ice cream until they're all packed up.  This will create beautiful raspberry swirls when you scoop your ice cream.  Freeze for at least two hours before serving.

Lighter Lemon Curd (Dairy-Free)

My dad and sister came over for dinner this weekend.  It was so much fun--my sister just turned 15, and she had never been to my apartment before!  I cooked them a belated birthday/father's day celebratory dinner.  We had thai shrimp curry with vegetables and coconut milk (so good--recipe coming soon), a salad my dad brought with a delicious dressing (I'll try to score the recipe and post it--it involves hazelnut oil!) and a berry tart with coconut cream and lemon curd.  My sister can't eat any dairy, so I had to make lemon curd without the butter.  Good news--it's just as delicious as the original, and even more lemony.  

I wanted to share the whole tart recipe with you, but the crust still needs some work.  Anyone have a good dairy-free tart crust recipe?  I'm going to work on getting one ready for the Fourth, because this tart happens to be very patriotic.  For the topping, we just whipped up some coconut cream with powdered sugar and vanilla, then folded it in to the lemon curd.

Anyway, I couldn't wait to share this delicious lightened-up lemon curd with you.  It's a healthier way to enjoy my favorite spread!  Try it on pancakes or a dutch baby, swirl it with some greek yogurt, or pipe it inside some cupcakes.

If you're looking for the original buttery version, it's here.

Ingredients (adapted from food.com; makes about 1 1/2 cups):

4-6 organic lemons
1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Wash your lemons really well, and zest two of them.  Mix the zest with the sugar in a small bowl, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to bring out the flavors of the zest (use 1/2 cup of sugar for a very puckery curd, and more if you want things a little sweeter).  Set the lemon sugar aside (if you want to make extra lemon sugar, it's also delicious as a topping for muffins or cookies).

Roll the lemons firmly under the palm of your hand to prime them to release the most juice.  Juice lemons until you have 3/4 cup of lemon juice.  Strain out any seeds.  Add the juice, lemon sugar, and salt to a saucepan.  Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved.

Beat the eggs and egg yolk together in a medium bowl.  While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm lemon mixture into the eggs.  Continue to beat for a minute or so.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla (the vanilla is optional--you won't really taste it, but it rounds out the flavor).

Let the curd cool to room temperature, then transfer to a glass jar or another airtight container.  Store in the refrigerator.  Lemon curd will keep, refrigerated, for at least two weeks.