Pastry Crust

1 1/2 – 1 2/3 cups spelt

1 1/2 tsp sucanat

1/2 cup butter, chilled, cut into cubes

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp coconut oil

1 egg or choice of egg replacer*

2 tbsp milk (coconut, almond, rice, or soy can also be used)

Place flours, sucanat, butter, coconut oil, salt and baking powder in a food processor and process until the mixture is the consistency of bread crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Mix milk and egg together and add it to the flour mixture. Using clean hands, squish mixture through the fingers until it can be formed into a ball. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. The pastry should be 1/8 inch thick. If it is too thick, it will be tough and harder to bake properly. Make sure it does not stick to the surface as it is being rolled by lifting and turning as you roll. Prepare the pastry shell by lining the shell with a piece of parchment paper. Fill the shell with dried beans or rice. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degree F. Remove from the oven and take the paper and beans/rice out to allow the bottom to cook. Another option is to use parchment paper and a metal pan that fits into the rolled shell. This allows the bottom to bake at the same time as the sides. Put the pastry shell back in the oven and continue baking 10-15 minutes or until the bottom is baked. Let cool.

 

* 2 tsp chia, salba, or salvia hispanica with 2 tbsp water work best as an egg replacement. It works so well, I think it may be better than using the egg.

 

For gluten-free version: Substituted 1 cup whole bean flour mixed with 2/3 brown rice for the spelt flour

Coconut oil and butter and can be substituted for each other when necessary

 
Custard Filling

2 1/2 cups whole milk*
1/2 cup raw sugar or maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
2 tbsp spelt flour
2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Reserve 1/2 cup milk. Pour 2 cup milks into a saucepan with

the sugar or maple syrup and the butter; bring to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, blend the reserved 1/2 cup milk with the spelt flour and mix thoroughly until no lumps remain. Add the eggs and mix well. As the milk/sugar mixture comes to a boil, add the milk/egg mixture, stirring quickly with a whisk. Stir continually until mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat and add vanilla, stirring. Pour the mixture immediately into the baked flan shell on top of the pastry crust. Let cool.

 

1 cup wild blueberries
6-7 fresh apricots

To finish the flan, slice each apricots into 8-10 slices. Place the slice around the outside edge of the flan. Fill the centre of the flan with wild blueberries. Brush with agave syrup. Serve.

 

Gluten free Option: Substitute 1 tbsp whole bean flour, 1 tbsp tapioca flour and 1 tsp ground chia, salba or salvia hispanica mixed together for the spelt flour                                                                                        

 

*Light coconut milk or almond milk can be substituted for dairy milk but there may need to be small adjustments in the amount of the flour as coconut milk is a little thicker than whole milk and almond milk is a little less thick


Blind baking using a pan                                                                                 

  

Blind baking with grains or beans