Blackberry Pies

Blackberries....

 

One of my favourite memories is of warm autumnal Sunday afternoon's spent foraging in the hedgerows for blackberries.  There's something special about finding these truffle-black berries, that stain your fingers a beautiful crimson, as you carefully pick them and drop them into your tub. 

 Wild blackberries are an altogether different creature to the purpose-grown nuggets that you find in the supermarket aisle.  Wild blackberries have a sweeter, denser flavour that demands crisp pastry and sweet cream.  Luckily I have just the recipe for you...

Vanilla Cream (this makes a little more than you need for 5 tart shells, just eat the leftovers as a pudding with some berries...you won't be sorry!)

• meat from two young thai coconuts (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup coconut water (you will get more water from the two coconuts, DO NOT throw it away, drink it and enjoy its amazing benefits!)
• 2 TBS coconut butter
• 2 TBS coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 TBS vanilla extract
• seeds from 1 vanilla bean, pod discarded
• 1/8 tsp salt

Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend for a few minutes or until very smooth.
Cover and place into the fridge.

Tartlets (makes 5)

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of ghee, or oil of your choice
• 1 TBS water

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients and form a crumbly dough using a spatula.
Press equal amounts of dough into 5 greased tartlet pans. Place in oven for 15 minutes.
Carefully remove tarts from oven and onto a cooling rack and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (this helps with the removal of the tarts from the pans)
Remove tarts from fridge. Carefully invert a pan in your hand and using a spoon tap the back of pan until the tart pops out into your hand. **THESE TARTS ARE VERY FRAGILE SO BE CAREFUL WHILE WORKING WITH THEM. Repeat with remaining tarts.
Spoon the vanilla filling into each tart shell and top with

AND just because I can...here's a video link about making these tarts, courtesy of Roost.  You MUST watch this, it's such a feel-good vid!

via: 2//3