This vegan raspberry and chocolate tart is a decadent special occasion dessert, filled with a layer of tart raspberry gel and topped with luscious chocolate and tofu mousse.
Well, blink and another year has passed! It’s time to start thinking about taking a summer break and catching up with old friends. I have some local adventures planned with my family and can't wait to get out into New Zealand's great outdoors.
Before the real summer holiday begins, Christmas celebrations await. A knock out dessert recipe is always essential at this time of the year, whether for the big day or the many other social gatherings that will pop up before then.
I really enjoyed making this delicious raspberry and dark chocolate mousse tart for the December edition of Kiwi Gardener Magazine, and enjoyed eating it even more. This tart has been on my mind for a while and, pleasingly, it turned out just as I’d imagined. Shockingly delicious!
A decadent tart
I made my own coconut oil-based short pastry case, which comes together very quickly using a food processor. Ensure the coconut oil is solid (fresh from the freezer is best), and handle the pastry as little as possible to achieve a short and flaky result. The tart case is blind-baked, lined with paper and baking weights, so that you have a crisp pastry case to fill and refrigerate.
You can save time and use store bought pastry or a pre-made pie crust if you prefer.
The filling has a layer of raspberry gel, made with plant-based agar agar powder to set it. Agar agar powder is easily available from supermarkets and Asian grocers – just don’t confuse it for agar agar flakes, as the quantities used are quite different.
If you have access to an abundance of raspberries, by all means use fresh berries. Nothing is lost by using more cost-effective frozen raspberries to make the gel though, and you can save fresh for garnish.
The tart is finished with a thick layer of rich chocolate mousse, that couldn’t be easier to make by blending soft tofu with melted, good quality dark chocolate. I promise you can’t taste the tofu, and it provides the ideal body and texture for mousse (along with some welcome protein).
For my Kiwi friends, altogether this tastes a bit like a healthier jelly tip – especially if served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Get the recipe
EQUIPMENT
- Food processor
- Blender
- 22cm springform tart tin
- Blind baking weights
INGREDIENTS
Pastry case
- 250 g flour (standard or all purpose)
- 75 g solid coconut oil (+ extra)
- 30 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4-6 tablespoon ice cold water
Raspberry gel layer
- 250 g raspberries (fresh or frozen, about 2 cups)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
- 1 teaspoon agar agar powder
Chocolate mousse layer
- 400 g soft tofu
- 200 g dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa solids)
- 1 pinch salt
To serve
- Fresh berries to garnish
- Vanilla ice cream (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Pastry case
- To make the pastry case, pulse flour, 75 g coconut oil, icing sugar and salt together in a food processor, until it has a crumbly texture. Add ice cold water a little at a time until the mixture starts to come together. I find 5 tablespoon to be about right, but this may vary a little.250 g flour, 75 g solid coconut oil, 30 g icing sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 4-6 tablespoon ice cold water
- Tip the pastry out onto a clean benchtop and use your hands to bring the mixture together into a ball, without kneading. Flour the surface and roll out to about 5 mm thick. Line the bottom of a 22 cm springform tart tin. Gently press pastry into the tart tin and trim the edges. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm. While the pastry is chilling, preheat oven to 200°C fan bake (or 220°C/430°F conventional oven).
- Line the pastry case with baking paper and blind baking weights. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the weights and baking paper and bake for another 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Melt a little extra coconut oil (about 1 tbsp) and brush to coat the inside of the pastry case, to form a waterproof coating.
Raspberry gel
- To make the raspberry gel, combine raspberries, water and sweetener in a pot and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add agar agar powder and simmer for another 5 minutes (this is essential to activate the agar agar). Strain through a fine sieve, pushing the solids around to extract as much liquid as possible. Allow to cool until it’s warm (but not cool, it sets fast). Pour into the pastry case and refrigerate until set (about 30 minutes).250 g raspberries, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon agar agar powder
Chocolate mousse
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate mousse layer by blending tofu until smooth. Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler, or in short bursts in a microwave, until liquid. Add chocolate to the blender, along with a pinch of salt, and blend until combined. Pour into the pastry case, covering the raspberry gel layer, and smooth the surface. Refrigerate until set (2+ hours).400 g soft tofu, 200 g dark chocolate, 1 pinch salt
- Garnish with fresh berries of your choice to serve, and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if you like.Fresh berries, Vanilla ice cream
RECIPE NOTES
- Make sure the coconut oil is chilled and solid (best fresh out of the freezer).
- Ensure you use agar agar powder (not flakes), as powder and flakes are not interchangeable.
- I keep a jar of mixed, dried beans to use as blind baking weights. After using them, I let them cool then pop them back in the jar until next time.
- Nutrition information is estimate and does not include vanilla ice cream.
Comments
No Comments