“Life’s too short. Eat dessert first!” ~ Jacques Torres
A little bit crunchy, a little bit juicy, a little bit sweet, with a hint of sour and bitterness. This little tart is a near perfect dessert. Quinoa flour makes it great for people who have issues with gluten, almonds and quinoa give it a nice protein boost, and there’s just enough sugar without being too much. I don’t believe in feeling guilty about eating dessert. And this tart is nutrient-rich enough to even qualify as a good breakfast! The image below was made in a 12 inch tart pan. If your tart pan is that big, double to recipe for a perfect fit. Otherwise, use your 9-9.5 inch pan for a single recipe as recommended. Enjoy 🙂
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Generously grease a 9.5 inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom
Halve and remove the pits from 4-6 medium plums. The best ones for this recipe are a bit tart, like Santa Rosa or Pluots which balance the sweetness of the almond dough.
In the work bowl of a food processor, combine:
1/2 c (2.5oz) whole almonds
1/2 c organic cane sugar
1/4 tsp salt (omit if using roasted, salted almonds)
1/4 tsp almond extract
Process until the nuts are pulverized.
Add:
3/4 c (3.4oz) freshly ground quinoa (grind in a coffee grinder until nearly powdered) OR (if gluten is NOT a concern) 1/4 c barley and 1/2 c quinoa, freshly ground as above. Quinoa flour from Bob’s Red Mill can be substituted if you don’t have a coffee grinder.
1/2 tsp baking powder
Pulse to combine with the almond mixture. Then add:
1 large egg
3Tbsp butter, cut into a few pieces
Pulse to combine. When the mixture just starts to clump together and all the dry ingredients are damp, you’re done.
Press this mixture into the prepared tart pan. Top with plum halves or quarters – make it look pretty to you.
Bake at 375 degrees until the center is firm and the edges browned – 40-45 minutes in most ovens.
After 10 minutes, using a pot holder, loosen the sides from the tart pan. This is an important step, because this mixture loves to stick to the pan once it is fully cooled.
Serve at room temp or slightly warmed, with or without a dollop of freshly whipped cream. (Personally, I omit the whipped cream but it can be a yummy addition.)