Vegan Seabuckthorn Curd Tart

by Danger Dynamite May 17, 2021

Recipe courtesy of Chef Adam Ryan

This is a vegan and gluten free dessert using the seabuckthorn purée as well as the whole berries. Feel free to use any pie/tart dough you prefer or have on hand. Top with a vegan marshmallow/meringue and torch it slightly to give it that “lemon meringue pie” feel. Pictured below it’s served with a rum and coconut sauce, and candied fennel. Use your favourite caramel or sweet sauce and something crunchy to add a bit of texture.

Yield = 4 x 5” tarts

For the Tart Shells

175g gluten free flour blend (cup4cup) - or all purpose flour if gluten isn’t an issue

70g ground almonds

100g organic cane sugar- or white sugar

85g vegan butter (earth balance)- or real butter

Preheat oven to 350F. If your almonds are whole, place in a food processor and bring down to a fine meal. Mix in the flour and sugar by hand in a large bowl. Cut in the vegan butter and incorporate until evenly distributed. Pack down in 5” tart shells lined with parchment paper using an espresso tamper or a water glass. Make sure everything is packed tightly so the shells hold their shape. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes until golden brown and formed a bit of a crust on the outside. If the centres start to soufflé while baking just press them down again with your tamper. Cool at room temperature.

For the Filling

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut milk- or any milk substitute will work

2 tbsp vegan butter (earth balance)- or real butter

1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup seabuckthorn purée

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/8 cup water

1/8 cup seabuckthorn purée

Place everything in a pot together except for the 1/8 cup seabuckthorn purée, the cornstarch, and 1/8 cup water. Bring to a simmer slowly on the stove, while whisking periodically to prevent the mixture from burning. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 1/8 cup of tepid water to create a slurry. Mix together with your hand until you can feel all the cornstarch has dissolved. Once the mixture in the pot comes to a simmer, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and bring the pot back up to a boil. By this time you should see the change in consistency. It should be thicker and glossy. Remove the pot from heat and let rest on the counter for ten minutes. After ten minutes pour in the remaining seabuckthorn purée- this will give it a fresher taste and balance out the boiled fruit flavour. At this time you can fill up your tart shells with the curd. It will be easier to move them if you place the shells on the vessel you intend to store them on first. Fill the shells right to the rim, if you have some fresh seabuckthorn berries you can pop them in as well to add a bit of texture. Move the tray to your fridge for them to set. After 2 hours in the fridge they should be set and ready to eat. Serve them cold, store in the fridge for 3 days.