As someone who has Celiac's disease, living in Paris has always been agonizing on the pastry front. And although I've found my gluten free macaron sources and that rare flour-less cake, there has always been one pastry that causes me particular pain: le tarte citron. This classic French tart is made with a buttery flour crust and lemon, custard filling. Even a nibble would make me absolutely sick. So to save myself from dangerous temptation, I came up with this raw vegan tarte citron, which is not only gluten free, but also milk and egg free. The difference between this version and the French? You can indulge in this one as gluttonously as you please and it won't leave you full with regret and cream.  

Ingredients

Crust

Dried dates, 1.5–2 cups

Peanut butter or almond powder, 3/4 cup

Almonds, 1/2 cup

Honey or Agave, drizzle

Coconut oil (virgin), 1 tablespoon

Salt, pinch

Filling

Coconut cream (only the cream, refrigerate  to separate cream from liquid), 1 can

Lemon, 1–2

Honey, 3 tablespoons

Recipe

Crust

Put all crust ingredients into a food processor and blend. Taste sweetness and adjust honey as desired. If too clumped, add a dash of water to thin the mixture.

Grease baking dish with coconut oil and press mixture into a crust with wet hands, to prevent the raw dough from sticking.

Filling

 Remove the liquid from the coconut cream (reserve for other cooking) and use only the thick cream.

Grate the lemon peel (use organic lemons or make sure to thoroughly wash the skin).

Squeeze lemon juice into coconut mixture along with honey and purée.

Fill the raw crust with the coconut cream and refrigerate until cream solidifies. Sprinkle grated lemon peel to decorate and serve cold.