Poached Quince Almond Tart

Every week, Shauna Ahern of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef -- and Gluten-Free Girl Everyday -- will be sharing smart tips and smarter recipes that will please even the most devout gluten-eaters among us. Come one, come all -- we're going flourless.  

Today: Your back-pocket holiday dessert that will satisfy any and every special diet around the table this year. 

So you're already thinking about the holidays. And maybe, instead of growing excited, you are starting to panic. Why? You have a house full of people coming and one of them has to be gluten-free, the other is avoiding grains entirely, another can't do dairy, and another is on a Paleo-style diet. (You really do have a lot of people coming to the house, don't you?) You are ready to throw up your hands and order out.

Well, here's your calming influence. This delicious dessert will suit the needs of all those friends and family. And no one else will know it's a special dessert. They might just want to know your baking secrets.
 

So stop thinking of this as a gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and Paleo-friendly dessert. Stop thinking about this in terms of deprivation. Just put this on the table and listen to everyone's oohs and ahhs and appreciation during the holidays.

Poached Quince Almond Tart 

Makes one 9-inch tart

Coconut Oil Pie Crust

140 grams almond flour
70 grams tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
75 grams coconut oil, at room temperature
4 to 8 tablespoons ice cold water

Coconut Milk Custard and Poached Quince

2 tablespoons tapioca flour
4 large eggs
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 kaffir lime leaf (optional)
2 tablespoons honey, plus 1 cup for quince-poaching liquid
2 cups apple cider
2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peel from 1 lemon
1 ounce chopped fresh ginger
2 star anise
4 quinces, peeled, cored, and quartered

See the full recipe (and save it and print it) here. 

Top photo by James Ransom, bottom photo by Shauna Ahern