Dada Dish Vol. 16
gf apple pie tarts & my favorite kitchen gifts for your loved ones :)
Hello everyone!! I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving. I spent mine with my family in California, and it’s been so nice to get a little break from the cold and the non-stop holiday season in New York. My Thanksgiving table was full of the recipes I shared in my menu last week, and I hope yours was too… ;)
In the spirit of it being December tomorrow (!!) I’m coming to you with a recipe that’s perfect for your holiday table: mini gluten-free apple pie tarts. I’m also going to be sharing a few of my favorite kitchen-centric gifts for your loved ones (or yourself, because you deserve a gift too). A lot of friends have been asking for recommendations, so I figured I’d share here too.
let’ssss get into the Dish!
♡Dada Dish: kitchen gifts edition♡
I’ve used this for the past two years and I’M SERIOUS… my kitchen life has never been the same. Everyday I toss my kitchen scraps into my Mill (think eggshells, banana peels, apple cores, etc) and allow it to run completely on its own to turn the scraps into dry, odorless grounds that don’t attract fruit flies. Also, the food grounds are shelf-stable and the Mill takes literal weeks to fill up. If you have a garden, you can use them to nourish your soil, or if you’re like me, you can put right them right into a compost bin or NYC brown bins. In fact, these Apple Pie Tarts (below) were a low-waste recipe because I added my scraps into the Mill while baking! If you’ve been considering getting a Mill for yourself or a friend, Black Friday is the perfect time – you can get up to $300 off ($300 off Silver, $250 off Black, $200 off White) when you purchase a Mill for the Black Friday sale (from 11/20-12/1). Email me if you have any questions, always happy to help and keep me posted :)
I am happy for whoever you decide to give this to, especially if it’s YOURSELF! I have this coffee maker that everyone’s been talking about and I still love it so much. This product is so chic on a counter, easy to use, and you can control the flavor profile + strength of brew with each use (i.e. if I want a lighter roast in the afternoon or medium in the morning, the machine can do that). I looooove it.
I am obsessed with this studio for kitchenware and goods. The pieces from Holcomb are not just beautiful, but they’re functional, too. I own many of their pieces and continue to recommend them to everyone I know! My personal favorites are the mortar and pestle (perfect for homemade spice blends), stone pepper mill, and salad bowl. Useful and gorgeous, great for the host or an aspiring one :)
This resting stone and salt cellar are two of my personal favorite kitchen products, and the ones I love gifting as well. It’s always nice to have a functional kitchen piece that looks good on your counter - especially for items you’ll be frequently using. Material Kitchen has been one of my favorite brands for nearly a decade, and I stand behind everything I’ve purchased from them!
I don’t know about you, but I never purchase drinking glasses for myself - I’m not sure why, but it’s usually the last on my list — so I love receiving them and gifting them! These are so cute, I love Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s work, and they’re a perfect under $100 gift if you need something in a snap when you’re going to a friend’s house, or just want to purchase another useful gift for a loved one.
♡mini gf apple pie tarts♡
I am obsessed with making mini pecan pies during the holidays, but I decided to do an apple pie version this year — and I promise, you will notttttt be disappointed. they’re SO cute, and SO delicious.
The crust is gluten-free and dairy-free, and reminds me more of a cookie — chewy and crisp, rather than a traditional pie crust. The filling is vegan and refined sugar-free, yet perfectly sweet, filled with tender apples. It’s a shockingly easy recipe to make! Hope you enjoy :)
Recipe
mini gf apple pie tarts
Ingredients
Crust
1 egg, best at room temperature (can sub 2 flax eggs for vegan option)
1/4 cup creamy almond butter
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted and cooled
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
Filling
3 apples, peeled and diced
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple pie spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water (mix to create slurry)
3 tbsp vegan butter
Method
Grease a mini muffin pan or regular muffin pan with coconut oil (I used regular for this demo)* and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, beat egg (or make flax eggs if using instead). Add almond butter, melted and cooled coconut oil, and coconut sugar. Whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the almond and coconut flour - then add it to the wet mixture. Mix to combine. Add the non-dairy milk to help everything come together. The dough should be thick and sticky.
Press about 3 tablespoons of dough into each of the muffin cavities — ensuring that you create a well for the filling to sit in. I use my knuckle to create a well, and form a “mouth” around the top of the cups. See the video above! Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Now, it’s time to work on the filling! Add your diced apples into a large bowl, and toss with coconut sugar, maple syrup, spices, and lemon juice. Mix to combine thoroughly.
In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch with water and mix to create a slurry. Set aside.
Melt the 3 tbsp of vegan butter on a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, add your apple mixture. Sauté until the mixture reduces and darkens in color, and the filling is sticky, about 15-20 minutes. When it is, add the corn starch slurry. This will help to thicken the filling. Remove from heat.
After the filling has cooled slightly, add it into the cups ensuring it reaches the top but does not spill over.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden and fully cooked through. Let cool for 15 minutes before enjoying.
*a mini muffin pan will definitely work as well, you will simply have to reduce the baking time and the amount of crust and filling per cup.
I know you’re going to love this recipe, and I hope you enjoy! Have a great start to December and I’ll see you next week <3
xx Samah
Awesome ideas and recipes! Thank you for sharing.