By Sharon Muse, HCTP September 2016
These peach and ginger Pop-Tarts will bring you back to your childhood – but even better because they’re gluten- and grain-free. Made with homemade peach, ginger, and chia seed jam, they are absolutely delicious!
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 3 ripe peaches, peeled and chopped
- 0.5–1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1.5–2 tablespoons ground chia seeds*
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)**
Crust:
- 1-1/2 cups almond flour
- 3/4 cup potato starch
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter
- 2 eggs, beaten and divided (1 for dough; 1 for egg wash before oven)
- 3–5 tablespoons cold water
Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar***
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3–4 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. To make filling, place peaches in saucepan over medium-high heat. Mash fruit as it heats up and becomes syrupy.
- Remove from heat and add ginger, chia seeds, and honey (if using). Stir to incorporate and let sit for 5–10 minutes to allow it to thicken. If you want it thicker, stir in more chia seeds. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- To make crust: In a large bowl, add almond flour, potato starch, coconut sugar, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and salt. Whisk to remove any clumps.
- Add butter to flour mixture with a pastry blender (or fork) until there are little pieces of butter cut into the flour.
- Add 1 beaten egg and 3 tablespoons cold water using a spoon or your hands. Make sure dough comes together nicely. If it’s too dry, add more cold water, a little bit at a time. Remember: You can always add more, but you can’t take it away.
- Form dough into disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- To assemble, roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it pretty thinly, between 1/8- and 1/4-inch thick.
- Cut out 8 rectangles and, using a spatula, move them to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of peach jam into the middle of each bottom crust, leaving room around the edges. Carefully place top crust over bottom crust and crimp to close and seal so jam doesn’t leak.
- With a fork, poke holes on top of tart and brush with egg wash (this helps tart brown). Bake for 18–20 minutes.
- To make icing: In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar and cinnamon together. Add vanilla extract and milk and stir until smooth. It should be both spreadable and pourable. If it’s too thick, gradually add more milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time.
- Remove tarts from oven. Use a spatula to move them to a cooling rack. Once they are cool, pour, drizzle, or spread icing on top. Sprinkle cinnamon and enjoy!
Notes:
*If you don’t mind the texture of chia seeds, you don’t have to grind them.
**If your fruit is very ripe, there is no need to add sweetener.
***If you are grain-free, be sure to check your ingredients. Powdered sugar is often made with cornstarch. Instead, find one made with tapioca starch.
Sharon Muse is a recovering sugar addict/baker turned Health Coach. After healing her relationship with sugar and her gut through nutrition, she wanted to share her knowledge and help others realize that healthy food can taste great! Along with Samantha Serpe (another IIN graduate), she created Sage & Celery – a place where you can be assured the recipes are gluten-free and delicious as they test them several times and explain the science behind the ingredients being used. They want people to feel empowered by the knowledge they share so they can incorporate these healthy ingredients into their own recipes. Check out their website and follow them on Instagram.