Tart Cherry Tart

This is probably one of the best desserts I've made since we cut out "everything". It was unbelievably simple and quick. I put it in the oven while we were eating and it was ready by the time we were done. That fact that the Cherries were hand-picked by the children (and myself & Dave's mom) in a local orchard makes it that much better.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• approx 1/4 cup palm oil shortening
  
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
  
• 2 cups (pitted) tart cherries
• approx 2 TBSP coconut oil
• approx 2 TBSP maple syrup
• approx 3 TBSP GF breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:

CRUST

1. Mix flour, soda & salt.
   
2. Mash shortening into flour mixture with a fork, until crumbly.
   
3. Press "dough" into the bottom of a pie pan.
4. Prick with a fork all over.
   
5. Pre-bake at 400*F for 10 minutes or so (will start to look "golden").
   

TOPPING

1. Mix cherries, coconut oil (melted if it's not already melted due to ambient temperature), maple syrup and 2 Tbsp of bread crumbs.
   
2. Pour cherry mixture over pre-baked crust. Spread evenly.
   
3. Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs (~1 Tbsp) over top.
   
4. Bake at 350*F for 15-20 minutes.
   

The tart will be gooey. It may not come out of the pie tin in nice, whole pieces. However, it is fantastically good, even if it starts to resemble more of a crumble or cobbler than a pie or tart.

Yield: realistically, this yields a modest after-dinner dessert for four adults. (Or two adults and two small children with enough for two adults to snack on after said children are in bed. Ahem.) You could easily double (or triple, etc) the recipe, use two pie pans (or glass casserole dishes, whatever you have) and have enough for lots of people. Or lots for a few people.

ALTERNATIVES:

• Add 1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract in the crust.
• Use coconut oil in place of palm oil shortening in crust.
• Try adding toasted coconut to the crust and/or to the top of the tart.
  
• Try allergy-friendly chocolate chips mixed into the filling and/or on top.
• Try different flours: quinoa flour is especially finely ground and makes great cookies and pie crusts. It does have a particularly unique (read: strong) flavor.