Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Tarte Tatin

Create a little piece of French-patisserie heaven in your own kitchen.

There really is something very heart-warming about making and eating Tarte Tatin. Do buy local, organic apples as these will really add to the meltingly sweet taste of the tart, and if you can find xanthum gum, it will make a difference to the pastry, (but don’t worry if you can’t as the pastry will still work without it). I made this for my friends Nichola and Alex when they came round for dinner – and Nichola, who normally never touches desserts, had 2 helpings. Result!

gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free

Preparation time 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling time     Cooking 40–55 minutes     Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 75g dairy-free margarine
• 100g fruit sugar
• 7 apples, peeled, cored and cut in half
• rice flour, for dusting

Pastry:

• 75g rice flour
• 50g gram flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 50g fruit sugar
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 75g chilled dairy-free margarine
• 1 large egg, beaten

1. Sift the flours and the ground almonds into a large mixing bowl and stir in the fruit sugar and xanthum gum. Cut the margarine into small pieces and, using cold fingertips, rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Make a well in the centre and add the egg, mixing lightly with a round-bladed knife so that the mixture begins to hold together. Continue adding the egg gradually until it is all mixed in and the mixture begins to come together to form a sticky dough.
3. Shape the pastry into a ball. Wrap in greaseproof paper and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This amount will line a 25cm tart tin, 3cm deep, or 5 x 12cm tartlet tins, 2cm deep.
4. The pastry can also be made in a food processor. Simply tip the sifted flours, ground almonds and sugar into the bowl, add the margarine and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blend for 20–30 seconds until the mixture comes together to form a sticky dough, adding more water if needed.
5. Heat the margarine gently in a 20cm heavy-based frying pan with an ovenproof handle until melted. Sprinkle the sugar over the top, then arrange the apple halves, cut-side down, in one layer.
6. Cook over a gentle heat for 20–30 minutes until the apples are soft and golden and the liquid has caramelized. Remove from the heat.
7. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Roll the pastry out on a surface liberally dusted with rice flour into a round that is slightly larger than the frying pan. Be careful, as the pastry will still be slightly sticky. Trim the pastry neatly into a circle with a knife. Carefully lift the pastry with a metal spatula and place it on top of the pan, completely covering the apples.
8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Take the tart out of the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 2 minutes. Place a serving plate, upside-down, over the top of the pan, then, holding the pan and plate together, turn them over so that the tarte tatin turns out onto the serving plate with the caramelized apples on top, and serve.