2 minute read
Make the Dish
Next Article
This is another gem of a recipe from Dana at Scope in Rotorua, and it ticks all the boxes—vegan, paleo, gluten free and refined sugar free. At Scope they make one large (23cm) tart where you can buy a slice to enjoy, but at home you may want to make them in smaller individual tarts like we did. They even work in mini muffin tins, although the silicon ones make it easier to pop them out.
BASE
2½ cups raw cashew nuts 12 soft Medjool dates, pitted 2 tbsp raw cacao powder 2 tbsp organic maple syrup 2 tbsp melted cacao butter
ORANGE FILLING LAYER
1½ cups raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained zest of 1 orange 8 tbsp orange juice (room temp) 6 tbsp organic maple syrup 6 tbsp melted cacao butter(available from Vetro and the Herbal Dispensary) 2 tsp pure orange extract 1 tsp salt pinch of turmeric powder (1/8 tsp)
CHOCOLATE LAYER
1/3 of the orange filling layer 4 tbsp raw cacao powder 2 tbsp organic maple syrup 4 tbsp orange juice (room temp) 2 tbsp melted cacao butter
TOPPING
Sprinkle of cacao nibs Freeze-dried mandarins or orange crumbs (available from Vetro)
Process cashews into a fine crumble in a food processor. Add remaining base ingredients and process to combine. Transfer this base into your tart tin/s. Press in to create a tart crust all along the base and sides. Blend all Orange Filling Layer ingredients in a high-powered food processor until smooth. Remove two-thirds of this mixture and set aside, leave one-third in the blender.
Add chocolate layer filling ingredients into the remaining one-third mixture in the blender and blend until nice and smooth.
Spoon the chocolate mixture into the centre of the tart crust then pour the orange mixture in the centre of the chocolate mixture. Have fun with this. Create your own artwork by mixing these to create a fun pattern. You can use a skewer to mix. Tap the tart tin on the bench lightly to smooth the mixture. Note if making smaller tarts you will need to divide the mixtures between all your tarts but you can create the same swirl effect.
Place in the freezer for at least 5 hours. Thaw slightly and slice. I would advise to only take out the slices you need and leave the rest in the freezer. If left too long at room temp the tart will melt and have the consistency it had when you blended it. When serving, sprinkle cacao nibs and freeze-dried mandarins on the edges of the slices.
DANA’S TIPS
Make sure all ingredients are at room temp before you start making this tart. Pre-soak nuts – Cover with boiling water for 20 minutes or leave to soak in warm water for at least 4 hours. When soaking, you can leave overnight in the fridge. Strain and don’t use the liquid. The best way to preserve the nutrition of the nuts is to quick soak them in boiling water. To store this tart – Treat it as you would an ice cream cake, i.e. keep frozen at all times until ready to eat. You can keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours max.
