Parsnips are far and beyond one of the most over-looked root veggies when it comes to sweet dishes (anything, really, or maybe we just haven’t gotten the memo), and they’re AWESOME. They look like white carrots, and taste similar, with less bitterness and more sweetness which makes us wonder… why did carrot cake overtake parsnip cake as one of the top 5 most common cake flavors in the US? It’s a mystery to us, so we’re making it our mini-mission to find great and wonderful reasons to start picking up these colorless carrot cousins more often on your grocery runs. And they’re just as good on the savory side! We made a big batch of plain parsnip puree for this recipe and ate the leftovers with butter and salt and damn if they didn’t give the best mashed potatoes a run for their money.
Parsnips weren’t always the one left out of the party, though. According to a quick skim through Wikipedia, the sweet tuber enjoyed an exciting heyday in ancient Greece and the Roman empire. Centuries later, colonists from France and Great Britain introduced the root to the lands that they then stole from the people already living and farming there. That brief spotlight was quickly overtaken by the ever-popular potato and parsnips became the wallflower of the produce aisle forever more. Until now! Here’s to all the parsnip treats and sweets, from parsnip cake, to apple parsnip mousse, to this elegant ambassador of fall: the gluten free parsnip and ginger custard tart with a gingery graham cracker crust, topped with ginger whipped cream! Not too sweet and a stunner for any Thanksgiving table.
If you’re into fall treats like this, try our classic pumpkin pie, or this vanilla almond carrot cake, or these spiced pear cupcakes with ginger buttercream, or these pumpkin cupcakes with silky cream cheese buttercream! Here’s to eating our veggies and our sugar too.
Gluten Free Parsnip and Ginger Tart
Equipment
- 11 inch tart pan
- Small saucepan
- Blender or food processor
- Sieve
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 1/4 Cup packed blanched almond flour
- 3/4 Cup finely ground gluten free graham crackers
- 1/2 Cup salted butter room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp white sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
For the parsnip filling:
- 2-3 large parsnips
- 1/2-1 Cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 Cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 Cup buttermilk
For the ginger whipped cream:
- 1 Cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
To make the parsnip puree:
- Make this first, as it will need to cool before you make your tart. Peel your parsnips, and chop them into 1×2 inch pieces, then cover with water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil (do not add salt). Continue to boil for 10-20 minutes, or until you can stab through an entire chunk with a fork (they should be very soft). Remove from heat and strain to remove water. Let cool for 5 minutes then dump parsnips into a blender or food processor. Add 1/2 cup at a time of whole milk and blend the parsnips until smooth, adding more milk to help puree the parsnips. The consistency. should be like mashed potatoes – add more milk if it's too stiff. Finally, mash puree through a large sieve to ensure no chunks remain. Let sieved puree cool completely before using.
To make the crust:
- While the puree is cooling, make the crust. Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit and lightly grease an 11-inch tart pan. In a medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until smooth, like wet sand. Press the crust into the tart pan, making sure the crust is even across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Then bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before filling.
To make the filling:
- Preheat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of cooled parsnip puree with all of the other tart filling ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour tart filling into cooled crust. Bake tart at 425 for 15 minutes, then lower heat and bake for another 20-30 minutes until a knife inserted 3 inches from the edge of the tart comes out clean. Remove and let the tart cool completely before slicing.
- While tart is cooling, make the whipped cream. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until thicker, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and ginger and continue to beat until medium peaks form. Either pipe or spoon the whipped cream on the cooled tart, then slice and serve!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your tart!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
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