Adapted from the Grapefruit Elderflower Tart in Alternative Baker: Reinventing Dessert with Gluten-Free Grains and Flours. Be sure to use fresh pomegranate juice in this tart for the best flavor and color. You can find fresh pomegranate juice at farmers markets and some health food stores through the fall and early winter, or you can make your own from fresh pomegranate arils. Without the hibiscus, the curd turns a rather unappealing mauve color, and it brightens up the flavor too, so don’t leave it out. You should be able to find hibiscus tea bags at any supermarket, or look for loose hibiscus blossoms or powder in bulk at health food stores or specialty herb shops; I get mine at Rainbow Grocery Co-Op in San Francisco. Top slices of tart with softly whipped cream and plenty of fresh pomegranate arils.
Ingredients
crust:
1 ⁄2 cup (60 g) blanched almond flour (such asBob’s Red Mill)
1 ⁄2 cup (80 g) sweet white rice flour (such as Koda Farms Mochiko)
½ cup (45 g) GF oat flour (such as Bob's Red Mill)
2 tablespoons (12 g) tapioca flour
1 ⁄4 cup (50 g) organic granulated cane sugar
1 ⁄4 plus 1⁄8 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons (85 g) cold, unsalted butter, diced into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
filling:
8 tbsp (113 g) cool, unsalted butter, in ½-inch dice
1 ½ teaspoons hibiscus powder (or 2 tablespoons lightly crushed hibiscus blossoms, or 1 tablespoon hibiscus tea from about 3 tea bags)
1 cup (200 g) organic granulated cane sugar
zest of 1 large lemon
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup fresh, strained pomegranate juice (find it at farmers markets or make your own)
1/3 cup fresh, strained lemon juice
finishing:
Unsweetened whipped cream (or a mix of cream and crème fraiche)
Arils from 1 large pomegranate
Powdered hibiscus (optional)
Thinly sliced lemon rounds
Instructions
make the crust:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the almond, sweet rice, and oat flours with the tapioca starch, sugar and salt. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and drizzle with the vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to medium-low and run until the dough comes together in moist clumps and the butter is worked through, 3–5 minutes.
Dump about half of the crumbs into a 9-inch loose bottom tart pan and press the dough evenly into the sides of the pan. Add the remaining crumbs and press them into the bottom, keeping the edges square. (It usually takes me about 10 minutes to make it look pretty.) Freeze until firm, 15–30 minutes.
Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden all over, 20-30 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and, while it’s still hot, press the sides and bottom firmly with the back of a spoon; this will help it hold together when cool. Keep warm.
