Whenever I get the chance to incorporate fruit into something baked, I feel extra great about it. I don’t know if its because there’s natural sugar in it or what. But I like it. Pears are a unique fruit, and until recently I didn’t know there are so many variations of them. I love the look of a cooked pear, theres nothing more rustic, right?
There is something magical about a freshly baked good, a big cup of coffee, and a quite morning. With such dishes as this Pear tart, that is what I enjoy most. It’s not necessarily the whisking and baking, or even taste testing, of course those are high on the list. But, its the experience that comes along with it. The art of it all. Sipping my french press, while the day awakens. Sitting in a bright lit room, disconnected from technology, emails, social media, people… just being, coffee and tart in hand.
I find it always easier to get wrapped up in little stresses than wrapped up in the simple things. Why is that? We don’t enjoy stressing out about how to fit a million things in 24 hours. Why do we chose to stress instead choosing to relax? We’re funny creatures that way, I guess. But it’s just the same with other lifestyle choices. Yesterday I choose to go for a run, tomorrow I choose to have a margarita, the next week I don’t get made at Karl for leaving his pants right where he took them off at, TMI? You get my point. Taking responsibility for our choices and our happiness is all up to us. Who are we to blame if we are stressed, overweight, friendless, or unhappy? Mostly, ourselves. Unless you’re rude, then that’s why you’re friendless. But even rude people have friends… so I guess I stand corrected.
As I finish off the week, a whole year older, yikes! a whole quarter century, and jump into the weekend, I think about what my plans will be. While many of my peers are gallivanting at Coachella this weekend, yay. my insta feed will be so fun this weekend…not. I’ll be attending a nutrition seminar, getting some sun, going for a mountain bike ride, and if Karl doesn’t kill me from the ride, finishing up on some work. Might sound kind of boring, but for the most part, minus the work, it is exactly how I will choose to spend my time. And that’s what its all about. Making choices and being happy about them, inclusive of all things — food, money, work, relationships. Oh, and margarita! I forgot one thing, have a margarita. #paleoofcourse
Simply Enjoy!
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon grassed butter, melted and divided
- 2 firm-ripe Bartlett pears, cut into 1/8-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup tapicoa flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse cashews until becomes a butter like consistency, about 5-8 minutes. Then pulse sugar, flour, and salt until finely ground. Add egg, vanilla, and nutmeg and process until combined.
- In food processor, combine coconut flour, milk, egg and salt. Pulse for a minute. Then, add in tapioca flour. On a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, sprinkle a little tapioca flour around sheet and with your hands (see tips and tricks below) roll out dough into an 11x 15 rectangle. Brush melted butter over dough.
- Spread cashew mixture evenly on dough and arrange pears on top, overlapping slightly. Then, sprinkle cinnamon over pears and brush remaining butter over pears.
- Bake about 18 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let tart cool slightly on sheet on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- With dough, it helps to get a rubber spatula and a bowl of luke warm water. Dip spatula in water and use to pack down and spread dough. Apply same method when spreading cashew paste.
