Gluten-Free Crab Tartlets

Quiches and tarts are always delicious, but getting a flaky short crust pastry using gluten-free flour is usually very tricky. Gluten-free flours tend to make the pastry hard and chewy. However, with this recipe, you will think you are eating a real short crust using regular flour. It’s light, flaky, and absolutely delicious. The pastry and the filling are gluten-free, but not dairy-free. Getting the real quiche taste, I had to use real cream and a mix of cheeses. For those who cannot eat dairy, like me, can use shortening with butter flavor for the crust (like Crisco), and use soy cream (like Alpro) and soy cheese for the filling. Posting this recipe for Valentine Day makes it extra special. It will pay off to enjoy such decadent quiche with your loved ones. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Crust)

- 200 grams cold butter cut into cubes

- 4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour mix

- 1 egg

- 1 tsp salt

Method (Crust)

1. Put the butter in the food processor and add the egg, flour, and salt to it.
2. Pulse for few seconds at a time until you get a flaky dough.
3. Do not over mix.
4. Take the pastry out of the machine and wrap with cling film.
5. Keep in the fridge for 1 hour or more before using.

Ingredients (Filling)

-  500 grams crab meat (or chopped prawns if crab is not available)

- 4 eggs

- 400 ml full-fat cream

- 1 tsp salt

- Freshly-ground black pepper

- ¼ tsp nutmeg

- 200 grams grated cheese (I mixed Emmental and Mozzarella)

Method (Filling)

1. Put the eggs in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
2. Beat well using a whisk.
3. Add the cream to the eggs and beat for few seconds.
4. Keep the filling in the fridge until needed.

How to assemble the tartlets

1. Take the pastry out of the fridge.
2. Roll out between two sheets of cling film using a rolling pin.
3. Cut the pastry into circles using a big cookie cutter (10-12 cm in diameter)
4. Carry the pastry gently, using the nylon wrap and put it inside the prepared molds.
5. Press the pastry inside each mold.
6. It will yield around 12 small quiches or 1 big quiche.
7. Use a fork to pierce the bottom of each quiche.
8. Fill the tartlets with baking beans and blind bake in a hot oven (200°C)for 12-15 minutes.
9. Take the tartlets out and remove the beans, return to the oven, and bake for five more minutes.
10. Take the baked crusts and fill them with crabmeat (or chopped prawns), then top them with the cheese mix.
11. Then, add the egg mix slowly into the tartlets until they are full.
12. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes or until set.
13. Take the tartlets out and let them rest for 15 minutes before serving them.
14. Serve with green salad.