Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Tart

 


This delicious tart from Minimalist Baker was exactly what I wanted! It was rich and flavorful without being too sweet, and it’s easy to make. Note, however, that I was unable to strain the seeds out of the raspberries, because the raspberry mixture itself wouldn’t really go through the sieve. If that’s going to be a problem for you, I recommend swapping the raspberry filling for seedless raspberry jam. Otherwise, just enjoy! 

For the crust 
1 heaping cup medjool dates, pitted 
1 ½ cups raw pecans 
1/3 cup cacao or cocoa powder 
¼ tsp. sea salt 

For the raspberry filling 
2 cups raspberries, frozen or fresh 
2 Tbsp. maple syrup 
2 Tbsp. chia seeds 

For the chocolate ganache 
½ cup raw cashews 
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips 
1 cup water 
1 tsp. vanilla extract 

For serving (optional) 
1 cup fresh raspberries 
dusting of cocoa powder 
flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) 


Grease a 9-inch tart pan well (preferably not with coconut oil, as it hardens easily when frozen). If you want to use a 9-inch pie pan instead, line it with parchment paper and grease it. 

Prepare the dates (for the crust) and cashews (for the ganache) by placing them in separate bowls and pouring boiling water over each. Set aside to soften. 

For the crust 
To a food processor, add pecans, cacao or cocoa powder, and salt and pulse until a fine meal is achieved. Drain dates, remove pits if not already pitted, and add them to the food processor. Process until fully combined — about 1 minute. 

Transfer crust mixture to your tart or pie pan and use clean hands to press it evenly across the bottom and sides of the pan. Transfer to the freezer to set. 

For the raspberry filling 
To a small saucepan, add raspberries and maple syrup and place over low heat. Use a wooden spoon to break the raspberries apart while they heat, cooking until fragrant and lightly simmering — about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof blender and blend until smooth. Pour the raspberry purée over a fine mesh strainer and use a spatula to strain the seeds out (see note above – this step is optional anyway). Once strained, mix the chia seeds into the raspberry purée. Let cool. 

Once the raspberry purée is cool, remove the tart shell from the freezer and spread the raspberry purée evenly over the crust. Place the tart back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes for the raspberry purée to set. Once the raspberry purée is set (touch it to see — it shouldn’t get on your fingers!), leave it in the freezer while you make the ganache. 

For the chocolate ganache 
Add chocolate chips to a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Then drain the soaked cashews and blend them with the water to make cashew cream. Ensure it’s blended until completely smooth so there are no bits of cashews left. 

Transfer the cashew cream to a small saucepan and heat on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the cashew cream begins to thicken (about 2 minutes), turn the heat off and pour the cashew cream over the chocolate chips. Cover and let sit for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate. 

Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth, then add vanilla and stir once more. If for some reason the chocolate isn’t completely melted, microwave in 20-second increments and stir until smooth and melted. 

Remove the tart from the freezer and pour chocolate ganache over the top of the raspberry layer. Smooth over the top layer of chocolate and place in the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or overnight. 

Once set, remove from the freezer and let the tart warm up for about 15 minutes before trying to slip the outer sleeve off of the tart pan. If it sticks, let it warm up a bit more. If using a pie pan, simply lift tart out of the dish and slice to serve.

Dust with cocoa and top with fresh raspberries and flaky sea salt, if desired. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator.




No comments: