First things first; this tart is devilishly delicious. I mean, take what you perceive as delicious and abandon that standard to be replaced by this particular tart.
Secondly; I'd like to disclose that this tart is not super healthy, nor is it trying to be. It is trying to be a yum and delicious dessert, and it is truly succeeding in that mission. That said, it is however, comparatively healthier than it's non-vegan alternatives as it does not contain any refined sugar or dairy. I also do not advocate eating the whole tart in one sitting because aside from essentially being physically impossible, that would also be most unhealthy. BUT, all things in moderation are good!!!
Anyway, in other related news, today my housemate declared that until he had met me, he though 'vegan dessert' meant something inherently healthy, namely fruit salad or, his words and not mine, 'lettuce' (for dessert? Really?!). Apparently he's one of those people that thought vegans only eat vegetables and fruit. WRONG. Anyway, he's lived with me for nearly 4 years and I guess you could say we know each other quite well now and that he is now 106% aware that vegan food doesn't have to be healthy, boring or tasteless. Anyway. I produced this tart to him for an impartial taste test (obviously I'm likely to be a little biased myself) and he declared it a winner and very much not fruit salad or lettuce!
This would make for the perfect dish to bring to a dinner party or friends house to impress all you (assumedly) non-vegan friends, and also because it's the kind of dish that you'd be best to share rather than give yourself a sugar coma by consuming alone! It's deliciously decadent, oozes chocolate and caramel and is essentially culinary perfection!
Ingredients:
The Pastry
1 1/2 cups plain flour
150gm vegan butter (I used Nuttelex)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
Water
1. Place the flour and coconut sugar in a mixing bowl.
2. Dice the butter (make sure it's room temp.) and add it into the bowl. Use clean hands to massage the butter into the flour/sugar mix until it resembles bread crumbs.
3. Add in some water 1tbsp at a time, until the mixture sticks together like cookie dough and can be rolled without crumbling.
4. Roll it into a ball, cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Turn the oven to 180 degrees and allow to pre-heat.
5. Once chilled, roll the pastry to 1/2cm thick and line the tin. Trim and excess off and use of fork to prick the pastry all over.
6. Bake the pastry weighted for 15 minutes (I line the tin with some baking paper and fill it with rice). After 15 minutes, remove the weight and cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes, removing when the pastry is a light golden brown and cooked through.
7. Allow to cool while preparing the caramel and chocolate layers.
The Caramel
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3/4 cup coconut cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Pinch of salt
1 tsp cornflower
1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine all the caramel ingredients. Continually stir until smooth, well-combined and golden brown in colour.
2. In a small bowl/cup, combine the cornflower with 1tbsp water, whisking together with a fork until it is completely smooth.
3. Add the cornflower to the caramel and stir well. Place the thickened caramel in a bowl in the fridge.
The Chocolate Layer
250mL soy milk
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200gm dairy free dark chocolate (I use Lindt)
1 tbsp cornflower
1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine the soy milk, coconut sugar and vanilla bean paste. Stir over low heat until the sugar has melted in fully and the mixture is smooth.
2. Take a small bowl/cup and combine the cornflower with 2 tbsp water, whisking together with a fork until it is completely smooth. Add to the milk mixture and stir through well.
3. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and add to the mixture. Stir well until fully melted, then remove from the heat.
To assemble, take the cooled pastry and pour the caramel layer over the bottom, spreading it evenly. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or so (I usually make the chocolate layer while the caramel is cooling). After the caramel layer has set, pour the chocolate layer over the top and refrigerate overnight (or for a minimum of a few hours). Serve with some sneaky garnishing of some extra chocolate - my personal fav is Loving Earth Salted Caramel!
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