When I east sugar - I scratch.

My thyroid swells, my brain gets foggy and I'm suddenly ravenous.  It's taken years of experimenting on myself to discover this fact.

My problem...I love to bake (why couldn't I love gardening instead?).  

So like a dog with a bone (albeit one of those cute fluffy ones) I've been searching for ingredients that don't send me screaming down the street.  

My latest discovery...Vanilla Bean Powder!

Now I do realise this product has been around for ages, but I'm finally on board.  

Now, I'm in love.

Vanilla bean pods ground to a beautiful, fragrant dust - nothing else.  No sweetener, no alcohol.  Just 100% pure heaven.

I used Careme’s Gluten Free “Savoury” Shortcrust Pastry for these tart shells.   “Savoury” because I didn’t want the added sugar from their “sweet” range.

Personally, I love making my own pastry.  I find it cathartic.  However, there are some days when only bought pre-made pastry will do, and this is one of my favourites.