PCOS- Friendly Meyer Lemon Blueberry Tartlets

I love the flavor of Meyer Lemons; they are a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange – significantly sweeter and less acidic than their super-sour cousins. I enjoy using them for my warm water with lemon in the mornings. To me, lemon is a perfect flavor to compliment spring. In fact, Meyer lemons were my inspiration to create this gluten and grain-free lemon dessert. I decided to use cashews to create the filling and opted for a shortbread-type crust using almond flour and finely shredded coconut.

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Tartlets

(makes 24 mini tarts)

Shortbread Crust

1 ¼ cups blanched almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill.)
¼ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut (not coconut flour)
pinch of sea salt
1 T maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 T melted butter (I used Kerrygold unsalted.)

Meyer Lemon Cream 

1 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaked overnight)
2 T Meyer lemon juice
grated rind of 1 Meyer lemon
2 ½ tsp. lemon flavoring (I used Frontier brand.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T maple syrup
1 T coconut oil
1 T coconut cream (the thick creamy top when you open up a can of coconut milk)
1 T water
1/2 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 24ct. mini muffin pan with festive paper liners.

Combine almond flour, coconut, and salt in a bowl.  Add maple syrup, vanilla, and butter and combine to form a dough.  Press a couple of teaspoons into each muffin cup to form a mini tart shell.  Bake for 10 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a baking rack.

Place soaked and drained cashews, lemon juice, lemon rind, vanilla, lemon flavoring, maple syrup, coconut oil, and coconut cream in a container of a high-speed blender like a Vitamix.  Begin to process on low and work your way up to a high setting, intermittently turning the blender off and scraping the sides of the container.  Add water until you get the desired creamy consistency.  Continue to process for 1 minute on high until very smooth and creamy.

Place a dollop of lemon cream on top of each tart shell and garnish with fresh blueberries.  Chill in a muffin tin and remove tartlets before serving.