It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of late, what with a trip to LA for Bake Me Up LA (a complete success!), a short stay in the LA area at Afsoon’s, and the beginning of several other projects, including a trip (from July 11th through 19th) to San Francisco and Portland with Joni for various meet-ups and taping of a couple of recipes for Everyday Dish TV. Whew!

All that to say I’m a bit overdue with a lot of recipes and a couple of product reviews, but I’m positive it’ll all get caught up eventually, as cod is my witness.

But for now: Lemon Tart.

How about eliminating one step in the making of your pie’s Graham Cracker crust? The brown rice flour gives it the typical crumbly feel of the traditional crust, without having to bother either purchasing Graham crackers at the store, or making them yourself.
Simply prepare the crust, and press it down into the pie plate. Could it be any simpler?
Well, yes: having your significant other do it for you would be all the more interesting. Hear that, Chaz? Yeah…

I know I mentioned in the past that when I think dessert, fruity things aren’t the first to pop into mind, but I must say that once again, while testing this recipe to get it the way I wanted it to be, I found myself feeling a bit sad when the last piece was gone, and getting the urge to make some more to be sure it was tasty. Because, you know, you can never be too safe.

Lemon Tart in Twisted Graham Cracker Crust

For the filling:
2 cups (470 ml) plain or vanilla soymilk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (about 3 small lemons)
1/2 cup (96 g) raw sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose or light spelt flour
Pinch fine sea salt

For the crust:
1/2 cup (112 g) nondairy butter
1/4 cup (48 g) Sucanat
1 cup (140 g) whole spelt flour
1/4 cup (40 g) brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Non-stick cooking spray

To make the filling: Using an immersion blender, combine milk, zest, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in a microwave-safe container.
Heat for 2 minutes, blend again.
Heat 1 last minute, leave it be.

To make the crust: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly grease a 9-inch (23-cm) round baking pan with spray.
With an electric mixer, cream together butter and Sucanat.
Add flours, salt, and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
Crumble dough into prepared pan, press down with the palm of your hand or a rubber spatula, until the sides and bottom are covered with the crust. Lightly prick with a fork to avoid air bubbles.
Pre-bake for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through and keeping an eye on it to be sure it doesn’t burn.
Remove from oven, place on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Pour filling into crust. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before placing into the fridge, and let set overnight.

Enjoy chilled, and within a day or two of preparation.

Yield: 6 slices

The blessed pair, in pie form? Amen to that.

I’ve tried baking the kinda gooey filling by itself for the same amount of time, simply upping the flour to 1 1/4 cups total. It’s good too, but I really love me some crust.

After trying one of many versions with all-fruit apricot jam, I must say strawberry, raspberry or any-berry jam works best, so as not to be lost in the peanut butter flavor. Also, it’s cuter to see the red jam escape around the edges.

PB & J Pie

9″ spelt pie shell (or any crust recipe you like), pre-baked at 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6) for 10 minutes
1 cup (256 g) crunchy natural peanut butter (add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the recipe if using unsalted peanut butter)
3/4 cup (180 g) yogurt of your choice (or store-bought)
1 cup (192 g) raw sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (120 g for light, 140 g for whole) spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (160 g) all-fruit strawberry or raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
With an electric mixer, cream peanut butter, salt (if using), yogurt, sugar, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
Add dry ingredients into wet, stirring until just combined.
Divide what will be a stiff batter in two and spread it at the bottom of the pre-baked crust: use a frosting spatula or rubber spatula, start from the center, and bring the batter to the edges, just like you would do when frosting a cupcake.
Spread the jam on top of the first layer of batter.
Add the rest of the batter on top, using the same “frosting cupcake” method. Don’t worry if the jam escapes around the edges: it will bake beautifully and make for jelly-like bits once baked.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and set.

Yield: 8 slices