Banana, caramel and passionfruit tart

Since discovering I have a wheat intolerance a few years ago, certain foods became taboo. Pastas, gnocchi and pastries. I love all things pastry.

Recently I tried my hand at making gluten free pastry and, after having great results with a number of different pastries (pate brisees, sucrees and sablees), I've been obsessed with all things (gluten free) pastry!

My latest creation was inspired after having dinner at my boyfriend's parents' house where I was offered some delicious banana, caramel and passionfruit tart for dessert (and had to throw away the pastry because it was not gluten free!).

The gooey caramel and sweet bananas contrast so well with the crisp pastry and tart sourness of the passion fruits.

Banana, caramel and passionfruit tart (Recipe by Stef @ Essential ingredients)

Serves 8

This recipe could easily be made with normal plain flour.

Ingredients

4 passion fruits

2 lady finger bananas, sliced into thin rings

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

300 ml cream

1 tsp icing sugar

Pastry

125 gr gluten free plain flour (I use White Wings)

50 gr unsalted butter

50 gr pure icing sugar

1 egg

Caramel

275 gr caster sugar

1/3 c water

110 gr cream

135 gr unsalted butter

Chocolate ganache

40 gr dark chocolate

30 gr cream

5 ml milk

Step 1: Make the pastry

To make the pastry, place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processer. Blend until the mixture looks like bread crumbs. Add the egg and blend until combined.

Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured board (or a silicon mat) and bring together into a ball, kneading until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and set to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Make the tart case

Grease a 20 cm loose bottomed flan tin.

Remove the pastry from the fridge. Make a disc from the pastry and place it on a lightly floured board. Roll the pastry so it is around 7cms wide than the tart tin and about 3mm thick. Fit the pastry to the tin, trimming off any excess pastry. Put in the fridge for 20 minutes to prevent the dough from shrinking.

Step 3: Cooking the tart case

Preheat an oven to 170 C (150 C if you are using a fan forced oven). Place a piece of baking paper in the tart case and fill with ceramic weight, beans or rice. Blind bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the case from the oven and increase the temperature to 180 C (160 C if you are using a fan forced oven). Remove the baking paper and the weights. Place case back into the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

Step 4: Making the ganache

Scald the cream and the milk in a small saucepan. Pour the warm cream mixture over the chocolate and stir until smooth.

One the pastry has cooled slightly, brush the chocolate evenly over the base and sides of the case. Put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

Step 5: Making the caramel

Combine sugar and 1/3 cup water in a saucepan and stir over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until medium-caramel in colour, remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat the cream for 30 seconds on high in a microwave. Carefully add cream and butter to the caramel mixture (be careful as the mixture will bubble and spit), stir to combine. Return to heat and cook for 2 minutes or until smooth. Let the caramel mixture cool slightly then pour into pastry case and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Note: you do not want the caramel to be hot or it will melt the chocolate in the tart case.

Step 6: Preparing the tart dressing

Place the pulp of 4 passionfruit in a sieve to drain the juice. Reserve the juice.

Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Add 1 of the bananas to the pan, cook for 1 minute on each side. Remove the banana slices from the sugar and butter mixture and set aside.

Stir the other banana slices with half of the passionfruit juice. Remove from the juice and set aside.

Add the other half of the passionfruit juice and 1 tsp of icing sugar to the cream and whip until medium stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Step 7: Dressing the tart

Lay the banana slices on the caramel, alternating between the cooked and uncooked banana slices. Spread half of the passionfruit pulp over the banana slices. Top the bananas and passionfruit with the whipped cream. Scatter the remaining passionfruit pulp decoratively over the cream.