Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Butter Tarts. by Barb R.

http://www.ilovebuttertarts.com/

     Diabetic butter tarts, quoi? Gluten free butter tarts is a thing?  Yup, and I can already hear in my mind the comments I'm going to receive on today's topic.  "Ew, sweetener evil!" "A treat once in a while won't kill you, just eat the regular butter tart!" "Go ahead, one butter tart won't muck up your diet.  Everything in moderation!" 

      I agree with most of the above dissenting voices (though you can't convince me sweetener is bad.  Sorry, it's been studied to death, people.  If it were killer it wouldn't be on supermarket shelves.).  However, I also acknowledge that sometimes, for some people, there is a real need for a low sugar/no gluten option.  Try telling the serious diabetic 'go ahead, just have one, it won't kill you.'  And while I hold some skepticism about the prevalence of gluten-intolerance (too easily self-diagnosed, imo), for those who do suffer, the struggle is real.  A dear of friend of mine lives with celiac disease, and it's painful to see what happens when she does accidentally eat foods containing gluten (massive rash, raw peeling skin, terrible stomach pain).  Sometimes the 'regular' treat in moderation is just not going to cut it, and a substitute is needed.

     Well lucky for you, we've sleuthed out the best low-carb, gluten-free butter tart recipe on the internet!  It uses some potentially hard to find products, but if you're already eating sugar or gluten free, I suspect you're used to that.  The product that was new to me in this recipe is erythritol, a type of sweetener that is popular in the U.S. but has less presence here in the Great White North.  In the recipe it's identified by the brand name Swerve; in Canada, the closest thing you'll find on the supermarket shelves as a substitute is brown sugar Truvia (a mix of erythritol and stevia).  One caveat: Truvia brown sugar blend is twice as sweet as Swerve, so you'll need to substitute with half as much.  Erythritol is a relative of the more commonly known xylitol, but it won't give you the horrible gas pains and tummy rumble that is typically associated that sweetener.

The ingredient list looks like this:

Caramel Sauce:
3 tbsp butter
2.5 tbsp Truvia Brown Sugar Sweetener
1 tbsp coconut sugar OR 1/2tbsp additional Truvia Brown Sugar Sweetener
6 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
Pastry:
1 cup almond flour
2 tbsp Truvia Brown Sugar Sweetener
2 tbsp arrowroot starch
1 & 1/2 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 -3 tbsp ice water
Filling:
Caramel Sauce
2 Tbsp cup Truvia Brown Sugar Sweetener
1 large egg
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp vegetable glycerin (optional but keeps the filling gooier)
2 tbsp raisins, dried currants, walnuts or pecans chopped (optional)

I'll direct you to www.alldayidreamaboutfood.com for the method, so you can fetch the rest of the recipe and check out the many, many excellent low-carb, low-sugar recipes found there.  Carolyn does a bang-up job over there dreaming up tasty recipes that are safe for diabetics and celiac sufferers.