Honey balsamic glazed beetroot tarts

The mouthwatering combination of sweet and salty flavours in these tarts dance on your tongue.

Honey balsamic glazed beetroot tarts Credit: Helen Tzouganatos

• makes

  8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Imagine sticky, honey balsamic glazed beetroots sitting on a smooth, creamy layer of feta and ricotta. Yum right? And the vibrancy of the scarlet beetroot filling immediately captures everyone’s attention. Perfect for brunch or served as an entree at your next dinner party. These delicious tarts will steal the show. And while pastry making can be the most daunting of all the gluten-free baking techniques, do not fear- this gluten-free shortcrust is easy to prepare and far superior to store-bought gluten-free pastry. 

Ingredients

Savoury shortcrust pastry

• ¾ cup or 100 g cornflour
• ¾ cup or 100 g sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)
• ⅓ cup or 50 g sorghum flour
• ⅓ cup or 30 g almond meal
• 125 g cold butter, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sea salt     

Beetroot mixture

• 7-8 beetroot, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• 1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 2 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
• pinch of sea salt and cracked pepper

Cheese mixture

• 150 g feta + extra to crumble
• 250 g ricotta
• 1 egg, lightly whisked 

To serve

• extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Refrigeration time: 1 hour

Instructions

To make the pastry, put the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and egg and pulse until dough roughly comes together. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to help form the dough.

Transfer dough to a surface and shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and rest in fridge for 1 hour before using (see Note).

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Add all ingredients for beetroot mixture to a large baking tray and toss to combine. Ensure the tray is large enough so the beetroot sits in a single layer. Roast for 45 minutes or until beetroot is tender, tossing halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.

Remove beetroot from oven. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning if required. Set aside.

Add both cheeses and egg to a bowl and mash to combine.

Cut out pastry rounds to fill 8 individual tins 10 cm wide x 3 cm high. Press pastry into tart tins and use a knife to trim off any excess.

Prick tarts with a fork and place in 180°C oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven.

Spread cheese mixture into base of pastry cases. Top with beetroot mixture and crumble extra feta on top. Place tarts back in the oven for another 20 minutes to set. Drizzle with olive oil to serve.

Note

• It is very important to rest the pastry in the fridge prior to baking to avoid shrinkage. 

• The beetroot mixture makes a delicious side dish. Cut the beetroot into larger chunks and cook for an extra 15 minutes or until beetroot has softened.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Imagine sticky, honey balsamic glazed beetroots sitting on a smooth, creamy layer of feta and ricotta. Yum right? And the vibrancy of the scarlet beetroot filling immediately captures everyone’s attention. Perfect for brunch or served as an entree at your next dinner party. These delicious tarts will steal the show. And while pastry making can be the most daunting of all the gluten-free baking techniques, do not fear- this gluten-free shortcrust is easy to prepare and far superior to store-bought gluten-free pastry.