Happy Easter everyone! Easter is a wonderful religious celebration as well as a chance to take a break before the long winter sets in (in New Zealand). And, of course, there are all those Easter eggs and hot cross buns to indulge in. Unfortunately, I can’t indulge in those but I still have my baking which satisfies the need for something sweet and causes no problems. These lemon tarts are gluten-free and low fructose but mostly they are damned tasty. The pastry was a great success and the tart bases stayed together so well I could lift them out of the tart pans without any sticking or crumbling. Low-fructose is not only wise for those like me who absorb it badly but it is for anyone who cares about their health. There is overwhelming evidence that a high sugar diet could kill you. I don’t feel the need to go into this because you only have to Google it to find all you need to know. There are heaps of reputable sources which will convince you. If it’s the only thing you do, stay away from high-fructose corn syrup. It’s pervasive in processed food and it will cause you problems.
Standing desk update:
With the four wonderful days of Easter break from work, I am spending as much time as possible on the computer to get ahead with my projects, including my cookbook, and so the weight of my decision to have a standing desk has come to the fore. On work days, I spend a few hours standing at my home desk and that’s fine but up to 16 hours standing is not so pleasant. I now have Adriano’s high stool he uses in his workroom in the garage upstairs with me. It’s tattered and dirty but it gives my poor legs a chance to have a break every now and then. Three to four hours is okay, sixteen hours is not! Moderation in all things.
Cookbook update
And speaking of my cookbook. It is ready but I must gather together the courage to put it out there on this blog. I will be offering a hefty discount for the first two weeks so my loyal readers will get a chance to buy it at $10 instead of $25. It has 50 grain, dairy, gluten, nut and refined sugar-free recipes for afternoon tea over more than 100 pages. In fact, it is called Afternoon Tea, so those of you with food intolerances or who have made certain dietary choices can still enjoy treats when the need arises. Maybe tomorrow will be the big day. I will send out a notification to you all when it happens.
If you malabsorb lactose, use lactose-free cream.
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp of my gluten-free flour mix
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 85gms/3 oz butter
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 400gms/13.5oz cream
- 3 tbsp cane sugar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp gelatin
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Mix the flour blend, salt and sugar in a food processor.
- Add the cold butter cut up small to the processor and pulse until crumbs form.
- Whisk egg and vinegar together in a bowl.
- Add them to the flour/butter mixture and pulse until a dough is formed.
- If necessary add a little cold water if it is too dry or more flour if it is too wet.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Grease loose-bottom tart pans.
- Take a small ball of dough and press out into the tart pans.
- Prick the base all over.
- Place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pans.
- Bring the cream and sugar to a boil.
- Add the lemon juice and stir.
- Dissolve the gelatin in a little hot water and whisk into the mixture.
- Mix the tapioca flour in a little cold water and add, stirring.
- Keep stirring until it thickens then take off the heat and let cool.
- Pour into the cooled pastry shells.
- Place in the fridge to set completely.
Beautiful lemon tarts, I love lemon desserts!
Thanks, Laura.
You sound like you have been so busy and that’s great you’ve finished your cookbook. What lovely looking tarts. Happy Easter to you and your family xx
Happy Easter to you too, Charlie. It has been a busy time – full time work does that for you. Don’t ever do it. LOL.
Hi Suzanne, happy Easter. Good luck with your book, I am sure it will be fantastic. Good on you for working so hard
Happy Easter. What a great break this is! Four full days of holiday. I have the book all ready after a hard day’s work. Now I just have to click the publish button.
These look heavenly – love the lemon stuff!
I’m a huge lemon fan as well and citrus fruits are one of the few fruits that I can eat, thank goodness.
Happy Easter! And congrats on the book – I hope it does well for you. Great looking tarts! I love lemon, so anything containing it always gets my attention. My wife baked a lemon pie over the weekend that isn’t as sweet as some things (it tastes kinda sorta like lemon curd, but no butter). We need to put it up on the blog someday – although she used a flour pie crust, I think it might work well with your mix, too. If you look at pictures of people using standing desks (back in the day when people used them much more), they almost always have a stool. Often they’ll kind of half sit – one leg will be on the floor, the other leg on the rungs of the stool. Probably a lot more restful than standing, and you still get some of the benefit of standing (I’m guessing; I don’t know, of course). You can also get regular office chairs that have a longer riser (or an adjustable one) so they will work at a standing desk too. Anyway, good post – look forward to seeing the announcement about your book.
I love lemon curd because of the tartness. It is one of my favourite fillings for tarts.
I have been standing and perching on a high stool all weekend but I need to get a dedicated stool which supports the back a little better. I didn’t know they made desk chairs that could raise up this high. I will have to have a look around.
Congratulations on completing your cookbook. It sure looks wonderful and the hardwork will pay off. The lemon tarts look adorable! Happy Easter!
Thanks you, Nik. It has been hard work but also fun.
You inspire me to work harder. It’s amazing how you’re changing your lifa and a book. Congratulations and thank you.
Thank you, Marta. Some days I need inspiration too but it’s important to always be growing.
These are such pretty desserts for Easter! Hope your Easter was lots of fun.
I was working very hard to get my cookbook launched on my blog so no downtime but I feel so good to have it done that it feels like a holiday now. I hope you had a great Easter break.
These tarts are so pretty, and I love anything with lemon!
I am a lemon lover too and I love tarts so put them together and perfection is created.
First time on your blog and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will surely be back. The tarts look delicious.
Thank you so much. I am glad you are enjoying my blog.
I love lemon tarts but have never made them myself, can’t wait to give them a try.
You will be pleased with them, I promise.
Hooray for the launch of your cookbook!!! Your tarts look wonderful…perfect for Easter!
Thanks so much, Liz. The tarts were delicious – just the way a tart should be.
What can I say, love the photography ! fresh and just want to take a bite 🙂
Thank you. I always want to take a bite of lemon tarts.