Ok, so I know this sounds weird to some people but you know how great salted caramel and salted chocolate tastes, then you have to try this?! For those who don’t like salt & sweet, this is still really good without the salt (similar in a way to treacle tart). For this reason, I actually serve this without the salt and add it at the time of serving to keep everyone happy (kids tend to love it without the salt).
I first came across this recipe before I realised I was gluten-intolerant (I found the original gluten-full recipe via the wonderful blog Lottie & Doof). Because of my love for pastry, tarts and pies one of my first priorities was finding a decent gluten-free recipe for shortcrust. I eventually came up with my own using Doves Farm flour, so this is the original recipe adapted:
Recipe (Serves 8-10, best served day after baking):For the pastry:
170g Doves Farm (GF) Plain Flour
Pinch of salt
1tsp Xanthan Gum
90g Melted Butter
1 Large Egg Yolk
25g Icing Sugar
2 tsp cold water
Filling:
110g Melted Butter
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1tbsp Fine White Cornmeal
1/2tsp salt
1tsp Vanilla Essence
3/4 Cup Mild Runny Honey
3 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Double Cream
2tsp White Wine Vinegar
1-2tsp Maldon Salt for sprinkling at the table
Method:Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C. (You’ll need a pie/tart tin with a push-up bottom – mine is around 25-26cm in diameter and 3cm in height; the tin not my behind!).
To make the pastry; sieve the flour, xantham gum and icing sugar into a bowl and mix in remaining ingredients.
Form into a ball with your hands, wrap in cling film and place in fridge for 1+ hours (sometimes I leave it in overnight).
Once it has been refrigerated it will warm up quickly in your hands (it maybe quite hard at first). I would recommend rolling it out on grease proof sheets (I use these which are great). This is very short pastry and because it has no gluten it is quite crumbly but don’t let this put you off – you can always patch it up once it’s in the tin.
As you can see – it has been patched up in several places and I have left the pastry overhanging the tin as it does shrink (you can minimise this by refrigerating the case for 10 mins). When making tarts I have no issues with them looking rustic as if they look too perfect people will assume you’ve bought it! Prick the bottom with a fork and brush the pastry with some milk or egg wash and then bake blind in the bottom of the oven for 15 mins. (I cover mine with grease-proof before baking.)
As you can see, it has shrunk quite a lot (I didn’t refrigerate the case before putting it in the oven) and I have cut away the overlapping pastry. Now get on with the filling.
Stir together the melted butter, sugar, cornmeal, pinch of salt (not the Maldon salt) and vanilla. Add the honey and eggs one at a time, then the cream and vinegar.
Pass through a sieve into the pie shell (I missed this stage, which I wouldn’t recommend as I ended up stirring it whilst it was in the pastry – we live and learn!).
Bake on the lowest shelf for 45-50 mins until puffed up at the sides and slightly wobbly/gelatinous in the middle. Let cool. It’s best served at room temperature the next day. Sprinkle with salt when serving (don’t sprinkle with salt too far in advance as it will dissolve and you won’t be able to see it).
Ok, so it’s not going to win any awards in the looks department but wow does it make up for it in taste! Serve with the remainder of the double cream and you’ll be lucky if there’s any left the next day.
Enjoy!
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