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Prep time
3 hours 30 minutes
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Cook time
40 minutes
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makes
One 9-inch tart
Author Notes
It’s been a challenge to keep things fresh with our loved ones over the past 11 months as the pandemic has taken over a good deal of our consciousness. But with Valentine’s day coming very soon, I was thinking that making something special might help, especially something that requires a little more attention than the weekly banana bread you’ve probably been baking. My thought was a sweet treat that’s worthy of marking an occasion—one that stops you in your tracks and makes you pause for a moment to appreciate its looks, texture, and flavor.
This tart is not only pretty, its flavors are elegant and sophisticated, and its texture is out of this world; no one would ever know that it has no dairy, eggs or gluten and consists of whole-food ingredients. You’ll also love the contrasting flavors of the rich and airy filling against the crisp, salt-kissed chocolate crust.
Often desserts made with white chocolate are cloyingly sweet thanks to the large amounts of refined white sugar that make up the creamy colored bars. Here, I’m using cacao butter, the raw plant-based fat that’s pressed out of cacao beans when making cacao powder. Cacao butter is solid at room temperature yet when warmed, it melts into a fragrant golden oil. For this recipe, I combine it with homemade almond milk, agar agar (see note), vanilla, raspberries, and a touch of maple to create a lusciously light mousse filling.
Although some of these ingredients might be new to you and require a bit of advance planning, I know the lovers in your life—even the picky ones—will adore you for it. Trust me, you’ll be rewarded greatly for any extra effort this tart requires. Happy Valentine’s day!
Notes:
Agar-agar is a flavorless seaweed that is used to gel deserts. It’s often used in vegan custards and jellies in place of gelatin. It comes in the form of a bar, flakes, and powder. Here I use flakes because they are most commonly found and easy to use; they’re also not bleached like the powder often is. Agar must be simmered in liquid to dissolve first (here I use almond milk) and then chilled to set. Always check that agar flakes are completely dissolved before continuing with the recipe.
Since cacao butter comes in all shapes and sizes, it must be weighed to ensure you use the correct amount. —Amy Chaplin
Test Kitchen Notes
Whole Food Cooking is a column by our Resident Vegetarian at Large, Amy Chaplin. —The Editors
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Watch This Recipe
Raspberry & White Chocolate Tart With Cocoa Crust
Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Cocoa Crust
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1/4 cup
(¾ oz. / 24g) gluten-free rolled oats
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1/4 cup
(⅔ oz. / 20g) dried unsweetened shredded coconut
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1 cup
(3 ½ oz. / 100g) almond flour
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1/2 cup
(1 ¼ oz. / 40g) cocoa powder
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1/3 cup
(1 oz. / 30g) gluten free oat flour
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1/4 cup
(1 oz. / 30g) brown rice flour
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1 teaspoon
sea salt
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2 tablespoons
plus 1 teaspoon (35ml) melted extra-virgin coconut oil, plus more for oiling pan
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1/4 cup
(60ml) maple syrup
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1 teaspoon
(5ml) pure vanilla extract
- Raspberry & White Chocolate Filling
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1 1/2 cups
(355ml) unsweetened almond milk, preferably homemade
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4 1/2 teaspoons
agar agar flakes
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225 grams
(8 oz.) raw cacao butter, roughly chopped
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2 cups
(7 oz. / 200g) frozen raspberries, defrosted
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3 tablespoons
(45ml) maple syrup
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1 tablespoon
(15ml) vanilla extract
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3 tablespoons
(2 ½ oz. / 75g) raspberry preserves
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1 handful
freeze-dried raspberries, for garnish
Directions
- Gluten-Free Cocoa Crust
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Heat oven to 350°F.
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Thoroughly oil a fluted 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom and set aside.
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To the bowl of a food processor, add oats and coconut and process until finely ground. Add almond flour, cocoa powder, oat flour, brown rice flour, and salt and process to combine thoroughly. Drizzle in melted coconut oil and process until the coconut oil is evenly distributed. Add maple syrup and vanilla and process until mixture forms a ball. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flours to absorb the moisture. Remove dough from food processor and squeeze together into a ball.
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With clean, dry hands, press crust evenly into prepared tart pan about ¼-inch thick. Prick bottom of the crust a few times with a fork and bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until fragrant and edges are just starting to pull away from the sides. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Raspberry & White Chocolate Filling
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To a small pot, add almond milk and agar flakes and whisk to combine. Bring up to a simmer over high heat, whisking constantly. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until agar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in cacao butter, cover again, and set aside for 10 minutes or until all the cacao butter has melted. Whisk well and set aside uncovered to cool for 5 minutes.
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Spread raspberry preserves evenly over the bottom of the baked crust and set aside.
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Pour milk and cacao butter mixture into an upright blender. Add raspberries, maple syrup, and vanilla and blend until completely smooth, scraping sides of the blender as necessary. Pour this mixture into the baked crust and allow to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for 2 to 3 hours or until completely cold and set—you can also leave it in the fridge overnight.
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To serve, remove the sides of the tart pan and place the tart on a plate. Add a few freeze-dried raspberries to a fine strainer. Holding the strainer over the chilled tart, rub the raspberries back and forth to create a fine dust. Repeat until the surface is covered in a light coating of raspberry dust. Slice with a clean, sharp knife and serve. Any remaining tart will keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Amy Chaplin is a two-time James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and vegetarian chef. Amy's approach to cooking is inspired by nature and the healing benefits of whole food ingredients. Her recipes have been featured in T Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and Vogue, among other publications. She divides her time between Brooklyn and Upstate New York.
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