Gluten-Free Bacon & Onion Tart

It's pi day (3.14)... a great reason to have pie! Well, rather than share a sweet dessert pie, I have a delicious pie (well, tart actually) to share with you. It does have a touch of sweetness from a little secret ingredient. You can make this gluten-free just by using a gluten-free all purpose flour. Or you can simply use normal all-purpose flour. If you do this recipe in two steps (making the tart shell the night before), it won't seem as daunting. Hope you like it!

Gluten-Free Bacon & Onion Tart
for the tart shell...
1 cup all-purpose (gluten-free) flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons ice water

for the filling...
4 ounces bacon
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon maple syrup
4 to 5 tablespoons goat cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
salt & pepper to taste

First prepare the tart shell. You can do this a day in advance and store loosely covered at room temperature. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, butter, shortening. Pulse to combine until the mixture forms a course meal. (If you don't have a food processor, you could mix by hand using two knives or a pastry mixer.) Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and pulse in the food processor until the dough comes together. (If you are mixing by hand, use a fork to mix. You may also need to use clean hands to finish mixing to form the dough.) Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough to about 11 inches round and 1/8 inch thick.  It works best to roll the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap and carefully turn the dough over into a tart pan. Remove the second piece of plastic wrap and press the dough into the pan, trimming any excess from the edges. Prick the bottom of the tart shell with a fork several times. Refrigerate the shell for 30 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the shell from the refrigerator and line with foil. Fill the tart with pie weights or uncooked rice. Bake the tart shell for 17 minutes. Then remove the pie weights and foil, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees, and bake another 13 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the filling...
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the bacon over medium heat in a medium skillet until browned and crisp. Remove from skillet and place on paper towel lined plate. Add the onion and cook until softened (about 2 to 3 minutes). Reduce the heat to low, add the maple syrup, and cook until the onions are caramelized. Trust me - this is the secret ingredient. Don't leave this out!

Place the goat cheese, sour cream, egg, egg yolk, spices, and cream in a blender. Pulse until blended.

Scatter the bacon, onions, and shredded gruyere evenly in the prepared shell. Top with the egg mixture being careful not to overfill. Wrap foil around the bottom and sides of the tart pan to avoid any leaking while baking.

Bake the tart for 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a simple salad.

Enjoy!

     

recipe slightly adapted from foodandwine.com