Authors: Beth Hillson

Gluten-Free Makeovers (89 page)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the tartlets for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Maintain the oven temperature.

Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks in a bowl. Add the lime juice and whisk until well combined. The mixture will thicken slightly.

Set the mini muffin cups on baking sheets for easy handling. Spoon a scant tablespoon of the filling into each tartlet shell, or enough to fill each tartlet without overflowing. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is set. Cool completely on a wire rack, then chill for several hours before serving.

Decorate with a dollop of whipped cream and lime zest or thin slices of lime.

Avoiding Dairy?
See page 267 for the dairy-free sweetened condensed milk formula or replace the condensed milk with an equal amount of cream of coconut. Use dairy-free buttery spread in place of the butter.

VARIATION: Pour the key lime filling into a baked 9-inch graham-style cracker crust (page 233) and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the center is set.

OTHER DESSERTS

This section is by no means an afterthought. I prefer to think of it as the place for little gems that could not be captured in any other category. Among those jewels, you’ll find whoopie pies, doughnuts, toaster tarts, teddy grahams, and an assortment of frostings. And, if you are anything like I am, I always start at the back when I pick up a book.

Apple Clafouti
MAKES 8 SERVINGS

This is an Alsatian pudding that is traditionally served during cherry season in France, but I make this delightful dessert any time of the year using fresh apples, peaches, or cherries, depending on which fruit is available at the time.

3 cups peeled and thinly sliced McIntosh apples (3 to 4 medium)

2 tablespoons plus ½ cup sugar

3 large eggs

1½ cups milk, soy milk, or rice milk

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup Basic Blend (page 17)

½ teaspoon baking powder

Confectioners’ sugar, ice cream, or Crème Anglaise Sauce (page 260)

Toss the apples with 2 tablespoons of the sugar; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with the apple slices.

Beat the eggs, milk, cinnamon, if using, salt, vanilla, flour blend, and baking powder together in a large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour one third of the batter over the fruit and bake for 15 minutes, or just until the fruit is set. Add the remaining batter and bake for 50 minutes. Serve warm dusted with powdered sugar, or with ice cream or Crème Anglaise Sauce.

Apple Cranberry Custard Crisp
MAKES 8 SERVINGS

This was inspired by a recipe I saw in
Bon Appétit
several years ago. I was missing some of the ingredients and substituted the granola that was sitting on my counter. The result was fantastic and using this quick fix cut the preparation time in half.

Topping

2 cups granola with fruit and nuts

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter or non-dairy buttery spread, at room temperature

Custard

2 large eggs

1 cup plain yogurt, soy yogurt, or coconut yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon rice flour

Filling

8 medium apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

¼ cup orange juice