I’ve pondered at length what to make for Mother’s Day this year. There are so many Breakfast in Bed recipes running around and, honestly, my mom has never been that kind of mom. She does more than most people do in an entire day before the sun comes up.
On Mother’s Day she, my aunts, and my Grandma make an incredible meal for our entire family. Appetizers, a main course with two types of meat, salad, several side dishes, homemade rolls, and dessert with good, hot coffee. Eating out or being pampered was unheard of – she’d rather cook for the people she loves.
The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree.
So much of who I am today is because of the woman my mom chose to be, day in and day out. On the easy days and the tough days, too. As each year passes, my awe and wonder grows at how she ever managed it all. Three girls, my dad’s job that required lots of travel, volunteering at our school and at church, our activities, home made meals every night…I never once had Hamburger Helper or any other frozen or boxed dinner.
Recently, on one of my tough days, one where I wasn’t sure how I could juggle it all – I realized exactly how my mom did the impossible.
She did it with love.
Fresh Fruit Tart
My mom’s not a dessert person. She’ll take a bite or two. Maybe three if it’s really good. I think this tart would get her to take four. The pecan crust is perfect with the light-as-air, lightly lemon cream filling.
We’ll see soon enough. I think she’s coming to Dallas this summer for a visit. Nothing would make me happier.
This recipe is quite simple – the crust can be made and baked in less than 20 minutes. You can make it the day before, wrap it in plastic wrap once it’s cooled, and refrigerate it overnight. (Just a note – if you’ve never made pastry cream you might want to give it a practice run. I mean it when I say don’t stop whisking!)
The filling can really be made of anything – chocolate mousse, lemon mousse, custard. I used Opera Cream, a pastry cream based recipe we made in baking class last week. It’s been adapted so that it’s refined sugar-free. The recipe is in weight measures. Pastry chefs don’t use cups. They weigh everything to ensure consistent results.
Weighing Instead of Measuring
My hypothesis is that gluten-free baking can be made simpler if we baked by weight instead of by measuring. A cup of brown rice flour weighs much more than a cup of tapioca flour. It would be nearly impossible to substitute one for the other with good results. The same goes for subbing a gluten-free flour for an all purpose, bread, or cake flour.
I’ve been using this precision scale
I’m going to start adding weight measures to my baking recipes. I hope you’ll join me as I venture out to test my hypothesis and see if, together, we can’t make more sense of baking gluten-free.
Happy Mother’s Day! Any special plans or dishes you’re whipping up this weekend?
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecans
- 3 large medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 inch tart or pie pan with cooking spray.
- Place the pecans and dates in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add melted butter and process until a dough forms. Press into your pan. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until light golden brown. The crust will puff slightly. Let crust cool completely before filling.
Notes
Advance preparation: This can be made a day ahead of time, cooled, wrapped, and refrigerated overnight.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces 1% milk, divided
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 1/2 ounces cornstarch
- 6 ounces eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 ounces agave nectar
- zest from 1/2 of a small lemon
Instructions
- Gather and measure all of your ingredients before starting. This is super important because you can’t stop once you start the cooking process.
- You’ll also need to gather your equipment and prepare an ice bath to cool down the pastry cream. (Just put some ice in a bowl large enough to fit the bowl you’ll use to store your final product.) Other equipment you’ll need: a whisk, a spatula, a four quart or larger stainless steel sauce pot or sauce pan, a clean bowl to store the final pastry cream, and plastic wrap.
- Put 12 ounces of milk and a pinch of salt into your sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring with your spatula. The milk will start to foam up so watch carefully. If you don’t pay attention you’ll have a mess on your hands. While the milk is coming to a boil, combine the remaining 4 ounces of milk and the cornstarch well with a whisk. Add the eggs and vanilla to the milk mixture and whisk until combined.
- Once milk comes to a boil, temper the egg and milk mixture by pouring about one third of the boiling milk directly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Don’t stop whisking or your eggs will curdle. Now, pour the tempered egg mix back into the milk, again, whisking constantly. Brint this back to a boil while whisking. Keep whisking. Don’t stop or your eggs will cook.
- As it comes to a boil, you’re going to see it start to look like scrambled eggs. Keep whisking. Don’t stop. The whisking keeps the eggs from scrambling. Once your mix thickens and comes to a boil, take it off the heat and immediately dump in the cubed butter while still whisking. Don’t stop until all the butter is melted into your pastry cream. Add in agave and lemon zest. Taste with a clean spoon – if you want it a little sweeter, go ahead and add more agave but do it quickly.
- Turn hot pastry cream into a clean bowl, set on your ice bath, and put plastic wrap directly on the cream. This will keep it from forming a skin. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap to protect it from absorbing any odors while in your refrigerator. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.
- Let your pastry cream chill completely. Whip 1 cup of heavy cream with 1/8 teaspoon powdered white stevia to stiff peaks. Put two cups of pastry cream into a large bowl. Use a whip to break up the pastry cream so it’s smooth. Stir 1/4 cup of whipped cream directly into the pastry cream. Fold another 1 1/2 cups into the pastry cream in two additions. This is the consistency of a light mouse. Total heaven. This makes a very light filling. If you want your opera cream to be thicker, use one part whipped cream to three parts pastry cream.
Ingredients
- 1 baked pecan crust
- 4 cups opera cream**
- an assortment of fresh fruit – berries, kiwi, grapes, and oranges
- 2 tablespoons no sugar added apricot or apple preserves
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Turn opera cream into pecan pie crust. Spread evenly.
- While washing and preparing fruit, put preserves and water into a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer to melt. Strain if necessary to remove any pieces of fruit.
- If using cut fruit, lay it on paper towels with the cut side down to absorb any juices that would otherwise mar the top of your tart. Create an attractive pattern on the surface of your tart. Brush with melted preserve mixture to give it an extra special shine and finished look. Chill before serving.
Notes
**Opera cream is a classical recipe used for pastry fillings. Make a batch of pastry cream, chill it, then fold whipped cream into the pastry cream.
When cutting this tart, use a good quality, sharp serrated knife and let the knife do the cutting. If you press down into the tart, you’ll smash it.
Jenn
posted on May 7, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Yes to weighing ingredients! Using a scale has made such a huge difference in my cooking life, it’s an amazing feeling to know you actually have exactly what a recipe calls for. I also do not usually add in masses to my recipes, though maybe I should…
This looks like a lovely tart, LOVE the dates in the crust, I will have to come up with some other ways to use that recipe for sure!
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Lauren
posted on May 7, 2010 at 6:40 pm
I agree with you & Jenn, weighing is helpful so often
. This tart looks absolutely wonderful. I’m sure that my family would love it 
.
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Zoe @ Z's Cup of Tea
posted on May 7, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Thus far, the only ingredient I consistently weigh is chocolate when I cook or bake with it. It is easier – I get thrown off easily when a recipe says 1/2 cup of chocolate and I immediately wonder how many ounces that would be. Weighing versus measuring ingredients is often an argument, with weighing usually having an upper hand as it is more precise. Weights will always be the same amount, but measured ingredients have a con based on how the ingredient was prepared, i.e. how thick or thin it was cut, how finely ground, etc. Plus, a specific measurement, like 1 cup as an example, may mean one thing to someone, but something entirely different to someone else. So complicated!
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Zoe @ Z's Cup of Tea Reply:
May 8th, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Ugh, I must have been tired when I typed that! I meant weight versus volume. Weighing is still measuring!
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Zoe @ Z's Cup of Tea
posted on May 7, 2010 at 9:31 pm
The tart looks lovely! I like the filling idea. Funny, too, because I’m making a fruit tart right now, too!
I hope to come up with something in time for Mother’s Day and blog it.
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Barbara @ moderncomfortfood
posted on May 8, 2010 at 6:17 am
You could be describing my dear mom here. Except mine LOVES desserts and would probably eat them exclusively if she could. This wonderful tart — I feel I can almost taste it by looking at your beautiful photos and the innovative ingredients’ list! — would certainly be right up her alley. Many thanks for sharing.
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Cara
posted on May 8, 2010 at 7:15 am
Love the sound of that crust!
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Cara
posted on May 8, 2010 at 7:18 am
clicked submit too soon! Just wanted to add that I love my food scale and totally believe it for both consistency in baking recipes, and accurate nutritional counts for any recipe. I think you will love it too! It’s amazing how far off from target volumetric measures can be.
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Ellen Allard
posted on May 8, 2010 at 10:28 am
This looks beautiful AND delicious. Do you think you could replace the milk with either a nut-based milk or coconut milk?
Ellen
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Amy Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 9:06 am
@Ellen Allard, Are you trying to avoid dairy all together? It’s finished with butter – is there a suitable butter substitute?
Coconut milk might be too thick but almond milk could work. I’d have to give it a test run.
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Ellen Allard Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 9:12 am
@Amy, Yes, I avoid dairy. I could finish it with Earth Balance instead of butter. But I definitely would need to substitute the alternative milk in the recipe
Ellen
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Alta
posted on May 8, 2010 at 11:24 am
OMG. So I was totally planning to make your two-bite ice cream sandwiches for my mother and mother-in-law tomorrow. I am totally changing direction and going with this. YUM!
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SnoWhite
posted on May 8, 2010 at 11:33 am
that looks amazing! yummy
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Heidi Kelly
posted on May 8, 2010 at 11:43 am
Oh wow, this would be right up my moms alley too. Can’t wait to try it.
I am so with you on weighing ingredients, I have always heard that is the better way to go, but for someone who is not professionally trained, figuring out the conversions can be challenging, so I look forward to learning from you.
I just purchased the scale, thanks for the tip Amy!
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Simply Life
posted on May 8, 2010 at 11:44 am
wow! that looks delicious!
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Holly
posted on May 8, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Oh my soul! That looks amazing. I think I drooled on the screen. Can’t wait to try it!
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Vincent
posted on May 8, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Amy!!
I’ve been searching high and low for something to make for my mom on Mother’s day and it seems you’ve just answered my prayers! I’ll have to give this a try.
Thanks a bunch =D
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kellyc
posted on May 8, 2010 at 6:11 pm
I have a mailing weight scale. It measures by the ounce. Could this be used for a food scale too?
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Pat
posted on May 8, 2010 at 10:02 pm
I love this first because it’s so beautiful! Then because it looks so rich and yummy! Then I notice the comments on weighing, so now I’m getting smarter, too — thanks!
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MaryMoh
posted on May 9, 2010 at 6:56 am
A very delicious tart with all the healthy fruits. Perfect for Mother’s Day!
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megan
posted on May 9, 2010 at 11:18 am
I love pastry cream and that crust sounds devine. Happy Mother’s Day!
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Cottage Palette
posted on May 10, 2010 at 9:05 am
Just discovered your beautiful and informative blog! The tart is incredibly beautiful. I don’t do well with corn, corn starch, etc but might be able to use the crust in another recipe. You have other recipes too that I must try. Up ’til now I’ve been basically gluten free, but have to get more serious. My blog hasn’t been gluten free at all, but that’s about to change as well. I’m adding a list of gluten free links to the front page of my blog, just this morning, since visiting yours. Thanks for the inspiration. ♥
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Kestlyn
posted on May 10, 2010 at 10:40 am
Thank you Amy for another delicious recipe and great tips! I’m going to have to try my hand at a coconut whipped cream soon since we are diary free.
As a note of encouragement…I think you have hit the nail on the head in the weighing versus measuring cup meathod of dry ingrediants. I used my postal scale this morning to make bread (rice/sorghum/millet/tapioca/potato starch), and it worked. I say that with a sly smile…because lately I’ve been tweaking rice recipes and ending up with squaty bricks or dense wet centers. This loaf of bread is just over 5″ high in the center…from a breadmaker machine! WooHoo! I’ll let you know how other recipes turn out too
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Amy Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 10:55 am
@Kestlyn, Congratulations!!! That is so exciting. I’m thrilled. Yes, let me know about the progress – failures and successes. It will help us all learn. Hugs!!
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Kestlyn Reply:
May 10th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
@Amy, My quick measurements this morning revealed the following measurements, and quickly showed me why I have ended up with at least some of my failures.
1 cup measured:
millet – 5.6 ounces
sorghum – 5 ounces
white rice – 5.8 ounces
tapioca starch – 3.8 ounces
potato starch – 6.0 ounces
I have been replacing cup for cup tapioca in the place of potato starch in recipes…I think it’s obvious now why those have ended up too wet. And even though it’s not a large difference, replacing rice with sorghum probably leads to the same result. I’ll measure my other flours soon, and would love to know how much soy flour weighs in at, since so many receipes call for it (and I can’t stand soy lol).
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Amy Reply:
May 17th, 2010 at 7:41 am
@Kestlyn, Thanks so much – I am going to do the same with my flours very soon…right now I am away from my kitchen.
I also don’t wonder if tapioca and potato starch have different gelatinization rates – or the rates/amounts of liquid they absorb. I would bet (this is a guess…) that tapioca absorbs more than potato.
At any rate, it’s good to know that someone else shares my love of kitchen science. I think it will only get more interesting as we learn more.
Natalie (The City Sisters)
posted on May 10, 2010 at 11:06 am
What a beautiful tart, Amy. It looks so refreshing. We’re having a family party in a few weeks and this will be the perfect dessert. Thanks!
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gfe--gluten free easily
posted on May 10, 2010 at 1:16 pm
Stunning fruit tart, Amy! I’d never heard of opera cream before.
I don’t have a scale yet (well, only an old, inaccurate one), but know I need one. In the mean time, I am careful to stir flour well before I spoon it into measuring cups so it doesn’t become compressed and result in a disappointing product.
Loved reading about your mom. Even before you said it, I was thinking, wow, now I know where Amy gets her amazing ability to manage so many things so well.
Shirley
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Ricki
posted on May 10, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Wow, does that EVER look good! Pastry cream is one of my favorite fillings. Yum.
And funny about measuring by weight instead of volume. When I ran my bakery, I learned to go with weights–and I wasn’t GF back then. I just posted a recipe with variations and used volume since that’s what seems standard for home cooks–but of course it’s GF and I’ve probably messed up with the different flours! I’ll have to keep experimenting.
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Sabrina
posted on May 11, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Oh my gosh, this recipe sounds DELICIOUS! the photos are absolutely gorgeous as well— if I didn’t know better, I’d be licking the screen :-p
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Sarah
posted on May 16, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Just wondering why 1% milk for the pastry cream? Why not half and half or whole milk? Just curious if it’s just a preference or the cream will not turn out if 1% milk is not used.
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Amy Reply:
May 17th, 2010 at 7:46 am
@Sarah, I only had 1% milk on hand, and I knew I’d be mixing it with whipped cream which would add lots of richness. You could certainly use any other milk product – it would just change the richness of the final product.
As I was overweight most of my life, it influences my cooking style. I won’t count calories because it makes me crazy. I do, however, make some lower fat choices on a regular basis as long as it doesn’t impact the quality.
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Aubree Cherie
posted on May 17, 2010 at 9:23 am
Yum! I’m not a huge tart person, but the crust alone was enough to make me read carefully through the entire recipe
I would love to try it.
Cooking by weight sounds really scary. I’m glad that you’re going to be showing us your measurements though, maybe it won’t seem as daunting!
~Aubree Cherie
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Carmen
posted on June 5, 2010 at 11:19 pm
I tried making this crust twice now and it is not turning out. It crumbles when I try to cut into it. It tastes good but doesn’t look like yours. I am using regular dates so I thought my problem the first time was that I needed more. This time I used 5 regular dates for half the recipe. It was still pretty crumbly, how many regular dates would you suggest? What should the dough be like after everything is processed? Thank you!
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Amy Reply:
June 7th, 2010 at 9:41 am
@Carmen, How are you cutting the crust and to what extent does it crumble? It shouldn’t be crumbly at all. But, if you slice it aggressively it will crumble a little. I use a sharp serrated knife and always let the knife do the work when I’m cutting.
Are you using real butter? And, are you baking it long enough? My crust gets a little puffy when I bake it.
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Carmen Reply:
June 7th, 2010 at 10:23 am
@Amy, Thanks Amy. I am using real butter but maybe it does need to bake a little longer. I will try it again.
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Amy Reply:
June 7th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
@Carmen, Do you have an oven thermometer? I use mine to make sure my oven is at the right temperature. Most ovens aren’t. Also, make sure your nuts are processed well enough so that they’re small. I would imagine that big chunks could cause crumbling.
Stacie Shepp
posted on September 8, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Very interesting to suggest weighing instead of measuring for gluten free cooking. I will have to try this. Thank you!
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Amy
posted on November 18, 2010 at 10:45 am
hmmm, I was thinking of using this crust recipe for something like an apple pie???? Should I bake it first?? or bake the apples in the pie?? My father is grain free/ dairy free/ sugar free and recovering diabetic so the crust is perfect, what are your thoughts??
Amy
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Amy Reply:
November 18th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
@Amy, When I make this with a filling that has to be baked, I just pile everything in, cover the edges, and bake it. Uncover the edges during the last 10 minutes or so. I’ve never done apple in this crust but if I did, I’m toss the apples in a tablespoon or so of tapioca starch so that the juices don’t soak into the crust.
Hugs,
Amy
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Sergia
posted on November 20, 2010 at 2:02 pm
I love the look of this recipe. I was wondering if there is an alternate to the cornstarch used in this recipe? Could I used heavy whipping cream as a thickner? If so would I use the same amount as I would with the cornstarch? I have allergies to gluten, grains, soy and legumes. Thanks so much
Sergia
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Amy Reply:
November 21st, 2010 at 2:55 pm
@Sergia, Can you use tapioca starch or arrowroot? Those will work. Tapioca starch would probably be a 1 to 1 sub, but arrowroot would work at 50%. I haven’t tried it, yet, so I can’t say for sure. No clue on the heavy whipping cream.
Hugs,
Amy
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kat
posted on October 2, 2011 at 8:30 pm
i tried the crust recipe today and it was a flop
it completely crumbled apart when i lifted it out of the tart pan. i followed the instructions exactly. what could be wrong.
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Amy Reply:
October 4th, 2011 at 7:18 am
@kat, I am sure that somewhere along the line you did something different than the recipe. Can you think back over the process and tell me how you made the tart? That would help me troubleshoot. This crust doesn’t crumble. It’s delicate, but it doesn’t crumble.
One thought I have is that maybe you baked it too long. All ovens are different so your oven could run much hotter than mine. Do you have an oven thermometer?
Did you press the crust firmly into the pan? And what did the nut mixture look like before you pressed it into the pan?
Hugs,
Amy
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Alyssa
posted on April 21, 2012 at 3:52 pm
I just popped the crust into the oven! Can’t wait to share this recipe with my family. I’m making mine dairy-free, so I’ll be interested to see how the creme turns out. Fingers crossed
xo Alyssa
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Amy Reply:
April 24th, 2012 at 10:07 pm
@Alyssa, This might have been the reason your pastry cream didn’t set up – dairy-free. There is protein in the dairy that might not be in whatever you used. What did you substitute?
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Alyssa @ Queen of Quinoa Reply:
April 25th, 2012 at 6:54 am
@Amy, I was wondering about that too. I used almond milk, but maybe next time I’ll try it with coconut milk. I also used a coconut milk whipped cream which could have done it. I’ve never tried to make a custard before, but it was so delicious that I’m going to make a point to perfect this dairy free. We still enjoyed it tho – thanks for the yummy recipe
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