Not only is this little treat vegan, but its also Gluten FREE!!!
Vegan and gluten free pastry crust filled with vegan gluten free cheesecake batter, and lavender blueberry filling and topped with love :)
I started off the day looking for what needed to be used up. I didn't spend very much time at the Green Owl the week past, so I wasn't sure what I might find. I found 2 pints of fresh organic blueberries. The catalog in my photographic memory popped up the image of a little bag of dried lavender flowers on the shelf downstairs across from the office, and inspiration was born. But this little idea was still just a baby. Throughout the day as I worked on other pastry projects, ideas of how to pull off my lavender-blueberry pairing were beginning to unfold. I was also making vegan cheesecakes so I thought of combining them...but how?? As I pondered that like a game of ping-pong, I needed to make the batch of Lavender Simple Syrup (which doubles as fancy cocktails this week at the Green Owl, too.)
Lavender Simple Syrup
1/2 C dried lavender (or 1 cup fresh)
8 cups water
4 cups sugar
Combine lavender and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a good simmer, and continue simmering until liquid is reduced by about half. strain through a fine mesh strainer (could even line the strainer with cheesecloth layers). Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Its perfect! Try making gin and lemonade with lavender syrup. At the restaurant, we serve Orange Blossom Lemonade, and that makes a great cocktail!
Once I had my lavender simple syrup ready, I made the blueberry filling. I took almost all of one pint and simmered it with 1 1/2C of syrup, mashing lightly the blueberries in the pan, then I made a cornstarch slurry of about 1/3cup water and 2T(heaping) cornstarch, and thickened the sauce, then added the rest of the blueberries and simmered it just for a couple more minutes, careful not the over cook the berries. Then after I took it off the heat, I added the zest of about a half a lemon and stirred it in.
Ok, so I have my sauce/filling ready, but still haven't dedicated to more than just the cheesecake combo. I have been experimenting the art of gluten free baking with great success, and was ready to move onto a gluten free pie crust, so I decided this was my opportunity. I let the filling rest while I dove into the gluten free crust. Here is what I came up with this time (and I know what I would do different next time, I'll make note of it in the recipe:
Make sure the margarine and shortening are very cold. I like to cut it into little pieces and put them on a plate in the freezer for a while before I start. Then take your flours and sift them together first to combine. Put the cold margarine and shortening in the food processor with the flour, salt and sugar and pules it till it looks like crumbles. Then I usually add the vinegar to 1/4 cup cold water and add that to the processor while running. Let it run for a bit and watch to see if its coming together. If not, slowly add up to another 1/4 cup of cold water. Let the processor run till the dough starts to form into a shaggy ball, then take it out and put it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and let chill for at least a half hour.
Next time I try a gluten free crust I think I will add another 1/2 - 1 tsp. of Zanthan Gum because it will add to its stickiness and elasticity. I would use white rice flour instead of brown rice flour. And it didn't really need the Sorghum flour. Instead I would increase the tapioca by another 1/4 cup and the white rice flour increase by 1/2 cup maybe. I would be a bit more sparing with the water, too. I feel like it got too wet to work with with ease. I would also use white rice flour to dust the surface with. As soon as I have a new version I will post about it.
We still need the vegan gluten free Cheesecake batter for the cheese danish feel to these lovely tarts. This batter will make one full cheesecake, all you need is a gluten free cookie crust.
In the food processor, blend tofu, salt and sugar. Add flour and tapioca and blend well. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix well.
Now, we have all of our tart components, the crust, the cheesecake, and the filling. Start by patting in crusts to the ramekins (or in a full size pan). Then fill a puddle of cheesecake in each one, then top with the lavender blueberry filling. I topped mine with little gluten free pie crust heart shape cut outs and a sprinkling of natural decorator sugar. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes or so until the crust is turning gold and the filling starts to bubble up (and sometimes over!). They turned out so pretty, lets look again!
Doing this blog will help me to methodize my madness; index my ingredients; assimilate my art. See, part of why Sweet is Art is because sometimes I like to paint a lavender blue sunset sky, but I love to do it with food. Putting your good energy into your food will overflow to those who eat it. If you are excited about what you are making, the recipients of your fare will be too. I don't always use recipes. Ok, I rarely use recipes. I have an arsenal of base recipes I like to use and modify to my hearts desire, to seasonal goodies, or requests (all requests will be taken here, thank you). The rest is just what I know how to do just from doing this for so long, lots of practice and a creative mind, and a sophisticated palate helps, too. Here I can blog out the madness, and hope it inspires someone somewhere.
Lavender Blueberry pie filling
2 pints fresh organic blueberries
1 1/2 cups of lavender simple syrup
1/3 C. water
2 heaping T. cornstarch
zest of half an organic lemon
Ok, so I have my sauce/filling ready, but still haven't dedicated to more than just the cheesecake combo. I have been experimenting the art of gluten free baking with great success, and was ready to move onto a gluten free pie crust, so I decided this was my opportunity. I let the filling rest while I dove into the gluten free crust. Here is what I came up with this time (and I know what I would do different next time, I'll make note of it in the recipe:
Gluten Free Vegan Pie Crust
1C. Brown Rice Flour
1 C. Millet Flour
1/2 C. Sorghum Flour
1/4 C. Tapioca Starch
2 T. Sugar
2 1/2 t. Zanthan Gum
1t. sea salt
1-3 T. sugar
1/4 C. shortening (I use Spectrum Naturals non hydrogenated palm oil shortening)
10 T Vegan Margarine, like Earth Balance Buttery sticks
1/4-1/2 C. well chilled water
1 1/2 t. apple cider vinegar
Make sure the margarine and shortening are very cold. I like to cut it into little pieces and put them on a plate in the freezer for a while before I start. Then take your flours and sift them together first to combine. Put the cold margarine and shortening in the food processor with the flour, salt and sugar and pules it till it looks like crumbles. Then I usually add the vinegar to 1/4 cup cold water and add that to the processor while running. Let it run for a bit and watch to see if its coming together. If not, slowly add up to another 1/4 cup of cold water. Let the processor run till the dough starts to form into a shaggy ball, then take it out and put it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap, and let chill for at least a half hour.
Next time I try a gluten free crust I think I will add another 1/2 - 1 tsp. of Zanthan Gum because it will add to its stickiness and elasticity. I would use white rice flour instead of brown rice flour. And it didn't really need the Sorghum flour. Instead I would increase the tapioca by another 1/4 cup and the white rice flour increase by 1/2 cup maybe. I would be a bit more sparing with the water, too. I feel like it got too wet to work with with ease. I would also use white rice flour to dust the surface with. As soon as I have a new version I will post about it.
We still need the vegan gluten free Cheesecake batter for the cheese danish feel to these lovely tarts. This batter will make one full cheesecake, all you need is a gluten free cookie crust.
Vegan Gluten Free Cheesecake
3 packages (8oz) of Vegan Cream Cheese such as Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 box (12oz) firm silken tofu
1 1/2 C. sugar
3T gluten free flour, such as white rice flour, millet flour, or amaranth flour.
1T tapioca starch
1/4 t. sea salt
2-3t. vanilla extract
2-3t. lemon juice
In the food processor, blend tofu, salt and sugar. Add flour and tapioca and blend well. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix well.
Now, we have all of our tart components, the crust, the cheesecake, and the filling. Start by patting in crusts to the ramekins (or in a full size pan). Then fill a puddle of cheesecake in each one, then top with the lavender blueberry filling. I topped mine with little gluten free pie crust heart shape cut outs and a sprinkling of natural decorator sugar. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes or so until the crust is turning gold and the filling starts to bubble up (and sometimes over!). They turned out so pretty, lets look again!
Enjoy!
Doing this blog will help me to methodize my madness; index my ingredients; assimilate my art. See, part of why Sweet is Art is because sometimes I like to paint a lavender blue sunset sky, but I love to do it with food. Putting your good energy into your food will overflow to those who eat it. If you are excited about what you are making, the recipients of your fare will be too. I don't always use recipes. Ok, I rarely use recipes. I have an arsenal of base recipes I like to use and modify to my hearts desire, to seasonal goodies, or requests (all requests will be taken here, thank you). The rest is just what I know how to do just from doing this for so long, lots of practice and a creative mind, and a sophisticated palate helps, too. Here I can blog out the madness, and hope it inspires someone somewhere.
Happy Cooking!
