Hi friends!
A new to me ingredient today (at least for baking; I’ve definitely eaten it many times) – tamarind! I learned some new cool things about it this week too, since of course I had to research it.
Behold: my seismically unsound dessert! Let’s get crackin.
Tamarind is part of the legume family, making it a cousin to peanuts. It’s high in essential nutrients (potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc) and is anti-inflammatory & full of antioxidants! There are a ton of other health benefits, if you feel like looking them up. Pretty rad, for funny looking little fruit pods.
This tart is delicious! Definitely for those who like their desserts on the sour/tart side – tamarind itself is very sour-sweet, and of course lemon with it makes it perfect for those who like that sort of thing… obviously, we both do! This barely made it to the leftover stage – I think there is one piece left, and I suspect it may be gone by midnight. It made for a great pre & post climbing snack, and was fabulous with vanilla ice cream for dessert with a board game.
Because tamarind looks much like molasses, you don’t get as pretty of a color as one would hope for a lemon tart – don’t be fooled if you see tarts that are bright yellow claiming to be lemon-tamarind – they lie! I thought for a minute I might have a nice pale yellow tart, until I opened my jar of tamarind & remembered – nope!
Tamarind makes things a nice custardy mellow dark tan/brown. Undeniably delicious, but also why I buried it under a pile of bright raspberries, hahaa. I will say though, raspberries + tamarind + lemon is a totally winning combination.
Happy weekend! I hope you’re out enjoying some beautiful weather.
Lemon, Tamarind & Ginger Tart
Bright & slightly sour, for those who like their desserts on the tart side! A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. Gluten free & refined sugar free. Can easily be dairy free – use coconut milk instead of cream! The crust can easily be grain free as well – just omit the cornmeal & add an equal amount of almond flour.
For the crust:
1.75 c almond flour
1/3 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c cornmeal
1 tsp ground ginger
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, ginger, sea salt, and baking soda. Add in vanilla, maple, and melted coconut oil, and stir until completely combined. The dough will look crumbly, but you’ll be able to press it together with your fingers.
Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease a 9″ tart pan (w/ removable bottom) with coconut oil. Press the crust into the plate and up the sides with a spoon or your fingers, creating a smooth edge (or not, your call!). Poke the bottom with a fork a few times, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Reduce oven temp to 325.
For the filling:
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 scant tbsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 c heavy cream
Place lemon juice, tamarind, vanilla, eggs, sugar and cream in a bowl and whisk until combined. Stand for 5 minutes.
Add tamarind filling to the crust. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the filling has just set. Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate until cold.
Top with sliced lemons, raspberries, coconut, and whatever else takes your fancy. Keeps well in the fridge overnight; can be made a day ahead as well & stored in the fridge. Excellent with vanilla ice cream!
Wait...are those...cookies?! 