Lauren Lovatt is a vegan chef and a pioneer in the mood food movement, who specialises in plant-based meals to nourish both body and soul. This tart is from her cookbook Mind Food. "There is nothing better than a fresh juicy blueberry, grown in season", says Lauren. "Paired with omega-rich walnuts and rosemary, this blueberry frangipane-filled tart is quite the treat."
Ingredients
For the pastry
| 200g | chickpea flour |
| 200g | tapioca flour |
| 2 Tbsp | maca root powder |
| 100g cold plant-based butter or coconut oil | cold plant-based butter or coconut oil |
| 50g | olive oil |
| 20g | rapadura or coconut sugar |
| 1 Tbsp | chopped rosemary |
| ¼ tsp | pink Himalayan salt |
For the blueberry jam
| 200g | fresh or frozen blueberries |
| 1 Tbsp | maple syrup |
For the walnut frangipane
| Scant ½ cup | plant-based butter |
| 100g | rapadura or organic caster sugar |
| 100ml | aquafaba (chickpea water) |
| 250g | walnuts, finely ground into a flour |
| 3 Tbsp | buckwheat flour |
| 1 | lemon, zest only |
| ½ tsp | baking powder |
| To serve | fresh blueberries, bee pollen (optional) |
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C/400°F/Gas 6). Lightly grease a tart tin.
- For the pastry: Mix the flours with the maca in a large bowl and then add the butter or coconut oil. Lightly rub the flour and butter between your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Make a well in the middle of the breadcrumbs and add the oil, sugar, rosemary salt and 1 tablespoon of water. Bring the pastry together with your hands. Add another tablespoon of water as needed and a smooth dough should form. When there are no breadcrumbs left, combine the dough into a large ball, then place it onto a floured surface and roll it out to 4mm thick.
- Lightly grease a 30cm tart tin with a removable base. Carefully place the pastry into the greased tin. It might crack slightly and if so, simply fix any cracks with the pastry offcuts. Prick the pastry with a fork a few times to prevent it from rising, and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden, then remove from the oven briefly and meanwhile make the fillings.
- For the blueberry jam: Place the blueberries and maple syrup in a saucepan over a low heat and simmer for 5 minutes until they are slightly caramelised. Set aside.
- 6. For the walnut frangipane: To make the walnut frangipane, cream the butter and sugar together in bowl with a whisk. Fold through the aquafaba, walnuts, flour, lemon zest and baking powder to form a reasonably thick, well combined mixture.
- 7. Place half of the blueberries evenly across the base, followed by the walnut frangipane. Bake the filled tart for a further 25 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and leave it to cool, then cut into slices and top with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of bee pollen, if using, for a wonderful afternoon boost.
Edited extract from Mind Food by Lauren Lovatt, published by Ivy Press. Photography by Sara Kiyo Popowa. RRP $45
