Salted Caramel Tart
Becca Crawford
This is my original grain-free/gluten-free recipe made with truckloads of dairy (butter and cream) so apologies to my dairy-free friends. Those lucky enough to enjoy and tolerate butter and cream can revel in that perfect balance of cream, butter and maple syrup that makes for a divine caramel – one of the most tantalising taste sensations on the planet. Making this recipe to just lick the spatula is worth it alone. The gelatin powder holds the mixture together. Only a few ingredients go into making the filling but because they are so nutrient-dense (assuming quality ingredients are used) a teeny slice of this tart goes a very long way. It is extremely satiating! So pace yourself as you will live to regret it later! I prefer to make this with just the filling without the crust base (it’s so much quicker and easier, and for me the filling is where all the glamour is anyway). But I include the ingredients and directions for a gluten-free crust base if you want to consume as (or impress someone with) a complete tart - base and all.
Crust Base Ingredients:
180g flaked, shredded or desiccated coconut
180g dried figs (rehydrate for several hours or overnight in water to bring them back to wholefoods, then snip off hard ends)
OR 180g medjool dates (approx 8-9 dates. Weigh with seeds in, then remove)
4 egg whites (reserve the egg yolks for scrambled eggs, omelettes or mayo)
pinch of unrefined salt
1 tablespoon (20g) coconut oil or butter
Filling Ingredients:
½ tsp unrefined salt (e.g. Himalayan salt, sea salt, Murray River lake salt)
500g organic butter
400ml organic cream
¾ cup (240g) maple syrup (or other natural sweetener of choice)
1 tablespoon grass fed beef gelatin (I use GelPro gelatin powder sold at Broth Bar & Larder)
Decorating Ingredients (optional):
A swirl of quality melted raw dark chocolate or a scattering of raw cacao nibs
Directions to make the crust base:
Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius fan forced.
Grease a round 25cm pie dish with olive oil, coconut oil or butter.
Process the ingredients together in a food processor until they reach a crumbly consistency.
Press the shell mixture into the pie dish to evenly cover the base and the sides.
Bake in oven at 120 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes if using dates, or 60 minutes if using figs, or until golden brown and slightly crispy.
Store in fridge until ready to pour in the filling.
Hot Tip! When taking the shell out of the oven be careful not to touch the shell as it may crumble and break. Grab the pie dish not the shell!
Directions to make the filling:
Gently heat all of the ingredients except gelatin powder in a saucepan until warm. Slowly add in the gelatin powder whisking constantly until all of the gelatin is fully dissolved. Do not allow to boil.
Pour into round tart dish either directly or into the crust base. Remove any surface bubbles with a spatula.
Refrigerate until set.
Decorate as desired.
Keeps for a few days in fridge.
Serves 12.
CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL VERSION
For a chocolate version, increase the gelatin powder to 2 tablespoons and add 80g of raw cacao powder into the saucepan