MNN - Mother Nature Network

A nutty and rich crust with a dash of salt contains rich, deep dark chocolate. Topped with tart raspberries, this all-natural chocolate tart would make a decadent Valentine's Day treat. Plus, it appeals both to vegan and paleo friends! Win-win. And,  I love all of that healthy coconut oil in the recipe.

 

Recently I found a delicious tart at my local store called Miracle Tart by the brand Hail Merry. I thought it was delicious and was so pleased that the chocolate filling was made with cocoa powder, coconut oil and maple syrup. With such simple ingredients, I knew I could make my own version at home so that there would be plenty to share with loved ones.

 

A couple of words about this recipe: First, there are easy variations you could use. While I know that many “paleo” people are comfortable with the coconut sugar and maple syrup that I use in this recipe, for those who can’t use these ingredients, why not try a date sweetened tart crust, and gently heated honey instead of the maple syrup in the chocolate filling (it would have a slightly different flavor and would be sweeter too). If you didn’t want a nut crust, you could definitely use any favorite tart crust you’d like too! For example, here is an example of a basic buttery tart crust (use unbleached flour and all organic butter or palm shortenting for the regular shortening), or you could use this gluten-free version. Both of these are baked versions, and would probably be a little less fragile than my nut-based crust.

 

Toppings could vary as well. You could make a raspberry sauce out of frozen berries, for example. Or you could use other fruit or berries. The reason I like raspberry is because the sweet yet tart flavor help cut through the darkness of the chocolate.

 

And speaking of dark, this is definitely a DARK chocolate tart. In other words, it is not super sweet. We love this, but you could always add some whole leaf stevia extract to sweeten it more, if desired. Or you could try to swap some of the maple syrup for honey, as it tastes sweeter.

 

 

 

You can soak and dehydrate your nuts and seeds, or toast them in the oven until fragrant, if desired. Special equipment needed: A 9.5-inch tart tin with a removable bottom. You could also make this in a small casserole dish and cut out in squares if you don’t have a tart pan.