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Almond and fresh fig tarts (gluten, dairy free)

Every now and again I am asked to develolp recipes catering for the most common food allergies, those being to wheat, gluten or dairy. One of my favourite flour substitutes of sorts in baking is nut meal.

While almond meal may seem a little more expensive at first, it makes perfect sense in cakes and tarts because it is naturally quite high in oils and keeps baked goodies wonderfully moist. To counter-balance the cost of the almond meal, I used delicious ripe figs which are currently in season and cost next to nothing. They are naturally sweet so the amount of sugar in the cakes could be reduced as well.

The batter itself is fairly simple to make, and there is little prep required for the figs. The tarts (or muffins) are best eaten warm with a scoop of vanilla (soy) ice cream on the side, but they keep well for a couple of days if you are making them in advance.

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Almond and fresh fig tarts (gluten, dairy free)

These little tarts are quick and easy to whip up. If you are not into figs, try berries of all kinds, pears or plums even. Makes for a great pastry to share with large groups.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs separated into whites and yolks
  • 40 g unrefined sugar
  • 115 g almond meal
  • 1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
  • 1/8 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 6 ripe figs

Instructions

To make the tarts:

  • Cut 4 of the figs in half longways (stem to tip). Dice the remaining 2 figs into 1cm cubes.
  • Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
  • Add almond meal, baking powder and apple sauce into the yolk and sugar mixture,and stir through diced figs.
  • Fold in whites gently until the mixture is combined.

To bake:

  • Divide batter evenly between 8 cupcake liners. Push half a fig into each tart. Bake in a pre-heated oven for around 20 minutes or until the tarts are just starting to turn golden.

To serve:

  • Enjoy on their own, or with a scoop of (soy) vanilla ice cream.
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholesomecook or tag #wholesomecook

 

29 comments

Chopinand @ ChopinandMysaucepan March 14, 2012 at 12:35 pm

Dear Martyna,

Your presentation brings these tarts to another level. The cross section of the figs make them so enticing.

Reply
Lauren @ Lawfully Wedded Wife March 14, 2012 at 12:47 pm

Stunning photos, I love them so much! I have yet to try almond meal but I would really like to!

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Julie @ happygoodtime March 14, 2012 at 12:52 pm

The photos are so lovely! The recipe sounds absolutely delicious.

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Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide March 14, 2012 at 1:04 pm

Why, why, why must you tempt me with beautiful fig recipes months before they come in season here!

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Joanne March 14, 2012 at 2:56 pm

The presentation here is so darned cute. I’m going to pin these under my “innovative food presentation” board.

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Wholesome Cook March 14, 2012 at 3:21 pm

Oh wow, thank you Joanne! :-)

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trialsinfood March 14, 2012 at 3:01 pm

The tarts look beautiful!

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bellacorea March 14, 2012 at 5:22 pm

wow! They looks so great!! I’m fig lover.. I want to try this if I find really good fresh fig though!
Thank you for sharing!

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Anna @ the shady pine March 14, 2012 at 8:20 pm

Those figs look amazing! A lovely gluten free recipe.

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rachel jane March 14, 2012 at 9:48 pm

I just love figs! and the cute pink cases!

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whilehewasout March 14, 2012 at 10:48 pm

Gorgeous!

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Bam's Kitchen March 14, 2012 at 11:03 pm

Thanks for the new gluten free cake in a beautiful show case of bright pink figs. Leaving the figs whole like this is so artistic. Love it. What is your criteria for knowing when the fig is perfectly ripe?

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Sara T March 15, 2012 at 3:02 am

I’ve honestly never seen a fresh fig (i’ve only ever eated dried figs. They look gorgeous!

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Courtney March 15, 2012 at 8:54 am

Gorgeous, Martyna. Simply gorgeous!

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heather @ Stuffed Pepper ™ March 15, 2012 at 9:02 am

i *love* figs, and you’re right, almond meal is a great gluten-free flour substitute. I bake with it all the time. :)

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filingawaycupcakes March 15, 2012 at 12:59 pm

This is so lovely! I just pinned it!

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I-Hua Lim (@msihua) March 15, 2012 at 9:35 pm

Gosh not only is the recipe a keeper, but your photos are beautiful!!!

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Ambika March 16, 2012 at 11:56 am

Yum! I love figs, its been such a long time since I ate some. The tarts look beautiful!

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Janine March 16, 2012 at 1:56 pm

pushing the fig into the batter is perhaps my favorite part of the recipe – so fuss free and the results look fantastic!

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lovelytori March 17, 2012 at 4:01 am

I tried making these and they were absolutely divine! Thanks for making my world about 100x better!

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lateraleating March 17, 2012 at 8:15 pm

Amazing! Omit the sugar and it’s perfect!

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john@heneedsfood March 18, 2012 at 5:46 pm

Ooh I really love these! I can’t get enough figs right now. Love this time of the year!

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Lisa Nocera (@LisaNutrition) March 19, 2012 at 12:24 am

Lovely nourishing recipe!

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Leah March 21, 2012 at 11:37 am

Now that is how you treat a fresh fig – gorgeous!

Reply
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Fly Right September 30, 2012 at 7:46 am

Just a note….the recipe calls for baking powder and apple sauce and yet, there are not instructions on when to add them!!! Not good!

Reply
Martyna @ Wholesome Cook September 30, 2012 at 8:20 pm

Hi, sorry about that! I have now updated the recipe. Thank you!

Reply

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