Here we are two months into the quarantine and already the 19th week of the year. I have been baking up a storm the last few weeks, but with no co-workers around, I have been spreading the baking love around the neighborhood and dropping off tasty treats to family across town. This week, week 19, of the baking challenge is floral flavors, which is something I don’t incorporate much into my baking, but this challenge is a way for me to broaden my baking skills and try things I might never do otherwise. I found this recipe via a google search, and thought it would be a great way to incorporate a floral flavor into my bake. Because specialty stores are closed and supplies are in high demand, I bought store brand strawberry hibiscus tea bags from Walmart, which worked surprisingly well, and was not an expensive ingredient.

This recipe is also vegan, so it has no dairy or eggs, or any other ingredient that comes from an animal. My best friend is on a dairy free, gluten free diet, so because this recipe was already dairy free, I thought I would modify it and make it gluten free, so it could be something my friend can enjoy as well. The taste of this tart was delicious, and you would never know the crust was gluten free. It’s a great recipe for people on restrictive diets, but is delicious for everyone. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

Crust

151g shelled pistachios

93g gluten free flour mixture, I used King Arthur Flour Measure for measure flour

31g powdered sugar

75g virgin coconut oil melted, plus extra for greasing the tart pan

1/4 teaspoon table salt

Tart pan with a removable bottom, I used a 4.25″x13.75″ fluted tart pan from Fat Daddio’s, but a 9″ round tart pan would also work

Filling

5 Strawberry hibiscus tea bags, I used Great Value ones from Walmart

4oz (1/2 cup) boiling water

16oz (1 pound) strawberries, fresh or frozen; I used fresh

4oz (1/2 cup) coconut cream

3.5oz (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

32g (1/4 cup) cornstarch

Optional

Fresh strawberries for decoration

Mint leaves for decoration

Whipped cream

Steps

1. For the crust, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using coconut oil, grease the tart pan to avoid it sticking.
2. In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until it is coarsely ground. Add in the flour, powdered sugar, and salt and pulse to combine. Put the food processor on low and add in the melted coconut oil and process until combined and comes together into a dough.
3. Remove dough from the food processor and put into the tart pan. Using your fingers, press the dough evenly up the sides and in the bottom of the tart pan. Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust and put into the oven for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
4. While the tart is in the oven, add 4oz of boiling water to a bowl and steep the 5 tea bags until the water is room temperature.
5. In a medium sauce pan, cook the strawberries on medium-high heat until they start breaking down. Remove from heat and pour into a blender, adding in the coconut cream and sugar. Blend on high until completely smooth. Pour back into the pan and continue to cook over medium high heat.
6. Remove the teabags from the steeping mixture and add the cornstarch to the cooled tea mixture and whisk to ensure no lumps. Pour the tea and cornstarch mixture into the simmering strawberry mixture in the pan, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and put the mixture through a sieve to get an ultra-smooth pudding.
7. Once the mixture has been pushed through a sieve, pour into the tart crust and smooth. Put in the refrigerator to cool and set for a minimum of 2 hours.
8. Once set, remove the tart from the pan and use strawberry slices and mint leaves to decorate. Cut and server with whipped cream, optional. Enjoy!