This recipe would have been the perfect Christmas addition but with most recipes I like to perfect it before I publish it! Make it for your upcoming New Years Eve celebrations, a party or barbeque, or make it for yourself and your family to enjoy for dessert! The firm tart base works perfectly with the creamy chocolate mousse (applause to avocado for this one), and the teaming of cacao and mint is to die for! It definitely reminds me of Christmas. This recipe is rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fats thanks to the avocado and almonds, saturated fats to support immune and hormonal function, and antioxidants found in cacao. The tart is super rich and satisfying due to the higher fat content, so a little goes a long way as you don’t want to make yourself feel sick (like I did on Christmas day).
Note: the sweetness of this recipe is perfect for somebody who doesn’t want overpowering sweetness. As always, I will only use wholefoods and not refined sugars in my recipes. Taste as you go and sweeten to your preference. In place of stevia, you could use a wholefood and organic sweetener of your choice e.g. maple syrup, coconut nectar, or honey. Just remember that a little goes a long way – we don’t want to have too much as it leaves us craving more sugar!
Ingredients
For the base:
2 cups whole almonds (preferably organic and activated)
1 cup of organic shredded coconut
2 tablespoons of organic coconut oil
2 tablespoons of cacao powder
1 teaspoon of organic stevia leaf powder (100% dried herb) or 10 drops of organic stevia leaf extract
For the filling:
2 avocados
1 can (400ml) of organic coconut cream
2 bananas
4 tablespoons of cacao powder
¼ teaspoon of organic stevia leaf powder (100% dried herb) or 5 drops of organic stevia leaf extract
Food grade organic peppermint essential oil or peppermint extract (15-20 drops, adjust to your preference)
Method
Add all base ingredients to your high-speed blender/food processor and blend until a slightly moist crumby mixture forms. Be careful to ensure it doesn’t get to the point where a paste forms (if this happens add a bit more shredded coconut)!!
Press the mixture into a tart pan and leave in the fridge or freezer until it sets
Using your high-speed blender/food processor, add all filling ingredients exempt the peppermint essential oil/extract and blend until well combined. You shouldn’t be able to see any avocado lumps!
Pour the mixture into a bowl and add the peppermint essential oil/extract, stir gently until well combined
Pour the mixture into the set tart base and allow to chill in the fridge until slightly firmer and ready to eat
Decorate with your favourite fruit – I love berries! Adding some cacao nibs adds to the beautiful chocolatey flavour and gives it a slight crunch! Why not also add some mint leaves?