photo provided courtesy of affairsofliving.com

I love lavender in baked goods, and decided I wanted to make oatmeal crust kissed with lavender flowers. For the filling, I made a rich custard from coconut milk and cashews, scented with vanilla and just a little vitamin C powder. To finish it off, I made a blueberry sauce to drizzle over the top. Yeah, yeah, I know, the blueberry sauce is not exactly on the ACD [Anti-Candida Diet]. I’ve thrown care to the wind the last few days and cheated.

The tart looked beautiful. It was creamy and rich, without being too heavy, and had a wonderful, complex flavor. The crust is crisp, yet tender. And the leftovers are just as delicious! If I could, I would have included a healthy grating of lemon zest in the crust; it would have added a lovely balance to the lavender. I could have probably tried it, but I just had some lemon on Friday (another cheat!) and didn’t want to push my whole allergy situation.

ingredients
Make sure to get food-grade, edible lavender. Look for it in the bulk section of your local co-op or natural foods store. The filling is just a little tart from vitamin C crystals, reminiscent of lemon custard. If you have a sweet tooth, you may want to sweeten up the custard filling more less. Serve the tart with blueberry sauce, or without, or simply top with fresh blueberries. Feel free to omit the lavender from the crust for a basic, adaptable tart recipe that would go well with any number of different sauces or fillings.

Oatmeal Crust
1 cup gluten-free oats
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/8 tsp stevia extract powder
1 Tbsp edible lavender flowers
optional: 2 tsp lemon zest (if you tolerate citrus, this would be awesome)
pinch salt
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil, chilled until solid then cut into small chunks
3 Tbsp cold water

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F and get out an 8-inch tart pan.
2. Pulse cashews in a food processor until coarsely ground, then add oats, pulse a few times, then process until ground (not as fine as oat flour, but not chunky). Add arrowroot, salt, and lavender flowers, pulse to mix, then add coconut oil and pulse until grainy and moist. Add water by the tablespoon until a cohesive dough forms.
3. Place dough on a sheet of saran wrap and pat into a large circle. Then top with more saran wrap and roll out into a 10″ square. Flip into tart pan and pat down, fixing any areas where it has cracked or broken. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crisp. It will not darken, so do not keep baking it expecting it to turn brown! Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Custard Filling
2/3 cup cashews (soaked 4-6 hours if possible)
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp vitamin C crystals (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
1/4 tsp stevia liquid + more to taste
optional: 1 tsp-1 Tbsp maple syrup, agave, or brown rice syrup, to taste
2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
1/4 tsp agar agar powder
pinch salt

directions

1. While crust is cooling, place cashews and water in a high powered blender and blend until totally smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend on high until well-mixed. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat on medium-high until bubbling, whisking constantly and ocassionally scraping bottom. Once chunks form and it starts to thicken considerably, remove from heat and whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes until thickened and totally smooth. Pour into cooled tart crust, and sprinkle with lavender flowers.
2. Place in refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours. Serve chilled for best texture. Can be served alone, or with a drizzle of blueberry sauce. Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days.

Blueberry Sauce
2 pint blueberries
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp vitamin C crystals
20 drops stevia

directions

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, stir, and cook on low for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened and blueberries are soft and broken down.
2. If you want a chunky sauce, use as is, or blend until smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender. Serve warm or chilled. Store leftovers in the fridge for 5-6 days, or freeze for longer storage.

makes 1 8-inch tart, 2 cups blueberry sauce

recipe courtesy affairsofliving.com