Raw Chocolate Tart

This is an adaption from Channel 4’s River Cottage episode in which Raw food expert Laura Coxeter showed Hugh how to make a chocolate tart with raw ingredients. I reduced the amount of cocoa powder and added 100gr of good quality dark chocolate. Similarly the agave nectar is for sweetness but I have problems with the Fructose so I decided I would use Coconut palm sugar and experiment with the amount in order to use the minimum. I was really very happy with this cake. The vote all round on this one is really positive and my husband who works out a huge amount (big understatement!) said his body felt really good after having it. Frankly, sometimes I look at ‘vegan’ ‘healthy’ recipes and I just think, that looks awful but this one looks good and delivers great taste and BONUS, it packs a nutritional punch thanks to the avocado, nuts, coconut oil, the dates..try it and let me know what you think.

Serves 8
For the base
300g pecans or almonds
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt, or any other good-quality salt
200g medjool dates, stoned and chopped

For the filling
4 medium sized ripe avocados
150g virgin coconut oil
2 vanilla pods, seeds only
100gr Cocoa
100 gr of between 60 and 70% chocolate

Pinch of salt
120gr of coconut palm sugar, if you don’t have this use unrefined dark brown sugar as a better sub than white sugar

In a food processor, blend the pecans or almonds (if possible, soak them for around 6 hours and then dehydrate them first. The soaking releases the enzyme inhibitors and makes them easier to digest.)
Add the salt and medjool dates and blend until you have a crumby mixture which is a bit sticky.

Press this mixture into the bottom of a 10″ spring form tin.
Cover in cling film and leave to harden in the freezer until you are ready to pour on the filling.

For the filling, blend everything together until really smooth, then pour onto the base.

Set in the freezer for 1 hour, then it should be firm enough to slice up. Top with berries, edible flowers, a dusting of cacao powder- whatever you like. I used a raspberry puree and some almond crackle I had made earlier.

Eat and enjoy in disbelief that it is the goodness of avocado and coconut oil you are taking into your body and not a really unhealthy chocolate dessert!.