Raw Chocolate and Cashew Tart

Autumn is finally upon us, so now is the time to stay inside, bake pies and put cinnamon on everything. Today though, I give you this Raw Chocolate and Cashew Tart. 

That you should definitely make, whatever the weather.

I have tried a few cashew based desserts before, but have never managed to get the flavour and texture quite right, so I was pleasantly surprised when this dessert turned out to be absolutely delicious, as well as being super simple to make! By adding in a small amount of coffee to the filing, the chocolate flavour is really enhanced and will make a world of difference to the end result. The nutty, chewy base works perfectly with the smooth, bitter chocolate filling to make a dessert worthy for any occasion.

All you need is high speed blender, or food processor, to whiz everything together, so there's also less mess and washing up for you to deal with. I would recommend making it a little in advance or the day before you plan on serving to allow time for it to set and the flavours to develop. (If you are in a rush - or just impatient - you can make it quickly and pop it in the freezer to set!)

No one will know that this tart is made almost entirely from nuts, with only a small amount of natural flavours and unrefined sugars to make it into this indulgent tasting dessert. Although nuts have a high fat content, they are amazingly good for you, so are well worth packing into your diet. They make this recipe naturally vegan and gluten free, as well as giving you all their natural goodness and nutrients! As nuts can be a bit on the pricey side, I have cut down on the nuts in the base by using GF oats - this makes the base into a wonderfully chewy flapjack-like texture, helping to make the final result even more irresistible.

Ingredients:
For the Base:
1/2 cup pecan nuts (or almonds, walnuts etc.)

1 1/2 cups GF oats

1/2 cups dates

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

For the Filling:
1 1/2 cups cashews
3 heaped tablespoons cacao powder
1 cup water
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 tsp instant coffee(optional)
Pinch of salt

Cacao nibs/chopped nuts to top (optional)

To Make:

• Start with the base, by mixing together the nuts, oats, coconut oil and dates in a food processor.
• Keep on processing until everything starts to break down and stick together.
• Press into the base of a tart tin/spring form cake tin that has been lightly greased with coconut oil.
• Once the base is evenly pressed into the tin, pop in the fridge whilst making the filling.
• To make the filling simply blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender or food processor.
• The consistency should be like thick yogurt or cheesecake and will firm up once set in the fridge. Test a little bit and add in more sweetener/chocolate to meet your desired consistency and taste.
• Remove the base from the fridge and spread over the filling.
• Sprinkle over a few cacao nibs or chopped nuts to decorate.
• Pop back in the fridge for a couple of hours to set (or in the freezer for shorter time) - the longer it is left in the fridge, the more the flavours develop so I found it was even more delicious the day after making.
• Remove from fridge, dust with a little cacao powder, slice and enjoy!
• Keep stored in the fridge for a few days.