My holiday dessert creation for this year! I made a recipe last month that really should have used a tart pan… So I finally bought one and experimented with it. It worked beautifully! The dates make a lovely caramel filling, with the tart cranberries and crunchy almonds being the perfect compliment. And all in a chocolate crust of course, because, chocolate 🙂
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
- Ingredients – CRUST
- ½ cup (6 large) pitted dates
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted (or softened grass-fed butter)
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- 1½ cups oat flour (ground oats)
- dash sea salt
- Ingredients – FILLING
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen or dried/soaked)
- 2 cups sliced almonds
Directions
- Heat oven to 350ºF.
- If using dried cranberries, soak them in tart cherry juice for 2 hours or more (drain before using).
- For the crust: In a food processor, process the dates, oil, chia and maple syrup until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cacao, oat flour and salt – and process until well mixed.
- Take the dough and pat it down into a tart pan (or a pie plate will do), pushing the dough up the sides and patting it down well.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, set aside and let cool completely.
- For the filling: In the emptied food processor, process the oil, cream, dates and syrup until smooth. Pour this caramel mixture into a bowl.
- Fold in the cranberries. Stir in half the almonds.
- Pour this mixture into the crust. Top with remaining almonds.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.
To deliciously healthy food and stronger faster running… Cheers,
Sarah J Cuff, RHN