Pear blackberry tart with hazelnut crumb

Pear blackberry tart with hazelnut crumb
gluten free, low carb

Crust and topping
1/2 cup hazelnuts 
3 cups almond flour
1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
8 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons Swerve (granulated erythritol)

Blackberry filling
1 12-ounce package frozen whole blackberries
2 tablespoons creme de cassis (or 2 tablespoons water)
2 teaspoons tapioca flour
2 tablespoons water
20 drops stevia extract

Pear filling
4 medium ripe pears
2 tablespoons Swerve (granulated erythritol)
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon tapioca flour
1 tablespoon water 

 11" tart pan

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Spread the cooled hazelnuts on a clean dish towel, top with another clean towel, and rub the towels together to remove the skins. Discard skins. Chop hazelnuts.















In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, protein powder, and melted butter. Transfer 2 1/2 cups of the mixture into an 11" tart pan with removable ring. Press mixture firmly into bottom and slightly up sides. Bake crust at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. Mix chopped hazelnuts and Swerve into remaining almond flour mixture. Set aside.



Combine blackberries and cassis in a medium saucepan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat about 15 minutes until berries begin to break down. Remove from heat, pour berries into a fine sieve positioned over a bowl. Press the berries through the sieve until just the seeds remain in the sieve. Transfer puree back into saucepan, add stevia extract, and return to medium-low heat. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 teaspoons tapioca flour in 2 tablespoons cold water. Pour tapioca mixture into berry puree, and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.



Peel, core, and slice pears thinly. Transfer sliced pears to a medium saucepan. Add five spice powder, nutmeg, and Swerve. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until pears release their juices and are softened, but still retain their shape. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon tapioca flour with 1 tablespoon water. Pour tapioca mixture into pears, stir and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. 



Spread blackberry puree evenly over crust. Arrange pears in a single layer over blackberry puree. Sprinkle hazelnut crumb mixture evenly over top of tart. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned. Cool completely in pan. Remove ring from tart pan to serve. Serve with whipped cream.