No-Bake, Chocolate Tart with Nut Crust and Cacao Nibs

 

This recipe was developed for Cuisinart using their new 3L Expert Prep Pro Food Processor.

No-bake, vegan tarts are probably my favourite dessert to make.  Using healthy ingredients like nuts, seeds, good quality dark chocolate and surprise ingredients such as sweet potato as a way to sweeten and give a deliciously, thick, smooth texture to the filling – you really can enjoy dessert while still providing your body with lots of amazing nutrients!

You may have noticed that I use a food processor for about half of my recipes on my blog.  I spent many years without a food processor and doubted I would ever need one – after all – I had a knife and chopping board so why on earth would I need a food processor?! But since getting my first food processor about 4 years ago, I literally could not live without it – just like my washing machine and dishwasher – it is a staple part of my kitchen – without which, I would be projected back into the times my nanna would spend hours handwashing, clothes and dishes and chopping vegetables all evening just to prepare dinner! Having a food processor has increased the variety of meals I can create, and has saved literally hours over the period of a week when preparing food for my family of 5;  pesto, pasta sauce, cake mixes, granola bars, falafel, curry pastes and spice mixes to name a few.  You can chop vegetables in seconds for soups or salads and the new Cuisinart 3L Expert Prep Pro Food Processor even has a spiralizer attachment so you can get creative with your cucumbers, courgettes, carrots and root veggies too!

This no-bake, chocolate tart with a nut crust and cacao nibs was created using the Cuisinart food processor and blitzed the nut crust and filling in a matter of seconds.  You can try it for yourself by following the recipe below.

Begin by assembling all of the ingredients.  You will need;

FOR THE CRUST

• almonds
• hazelnuts
• desiccated coconut
• raisins
• cacao nibs
• pure Maple syrup
• shelled hemp seeds

FOR THE FILLING

• pre-steamed sweet potatoes
• dates – soaked in boiled water for 20 minutes to soften
• pure Maple syrup
• vanilla bean paste
• good quality dark cocoa powder
• almond butter

Place the almonds and hazelnuts into the large bowl of the food processor with the processing blade attached;

Process on high for about 30-40 seconds until you reach a crumb texture;

Next, add the remaining crust ingredients – desiccated coconut, raisins, cacao nibs, pure Maple syrup and shelled hemp seeds. Process for about 30 seconds until all combined into a crumb texture;

In order to get the mixture to gel/stick together, you will need to add a small amount of water to the mixture.  Add about 1/4 of a cup of water directly to the mixture and process again for about 10 seconds.  It should now stick together when you squeeze a little between your finger and thumb and will look like this;

Add more water, tbsp by tbsp if required but do not add too much or it will be too moist.

Now, pour the mixture into a round, loose-bottomed cake tin 20cm diameter;

And flatten down using the underside of a spoon;

Flatten and spread the mixture until it comes up the sides and use your clean finger and thumb to create a neat edge;

Place the crust in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.

FILLING

Place all of the filling ingredients into the large bowl of the food processor with the processing blade inserted (ensure the dates have been soaked in hot water for 20mins beforehand to make it easier on the food processor motor – check all stones have been removed also);

Process the ingredients on high for about 60 seconds until completely smooth;

Pour the mixture on to the crust base;

And smooth out, using the back of a spoon until even;

Place the tart into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Just before serving, add a generous amount of raw cacao nibs for extra crunch;