Christmas Recipe: Vegan Merry Berry Tart
Gluten free / Refined Sugar free / Vegan
Serves 4
Want a dessert that looks spectacular but is still healthy and plant-based? This tart recipe is super easy and is not only vegan and gluten free but is also bake free!
The base is just a matter of throwing everything in a food processor and then blitzing until you have a nice clumpy mix that holds together well.
The filling can be customised to whatever summer berries you have on hand, we used raspberries and blackberries. Agar agar is similar to gelatine but is plant based, they are easy to find – try your local organic store. Agar agar is available as flakes or powder.
When your tart is set then the fun part is in the decorating, use any gorgeous summer fruit such as berries, cherries, apricots (slices) etc and then we’ve added a dusting of Bestow Berry Beautiful.
This is not an overly sweet dessert but when served with Raglan Vanilla Bean Yoghurt it is fantastic!
BASE
1 1/2 cups of almond meal
1/2 cup of pistachios
4 medjool dates, pips removed
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of cardamom (optional)
3 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of rice syrup or 100% organic maple syrup
FILLING
1 cup of mixed berries, fresh or frozen
1 400ml tin of organic coconut cream
1 tablespoon of cornflour
1 tablespoon of agar agar flakes
2 tablespoons of rice syrup or 100% organic maple syrup (optional)
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (Heilala)
TOPPING
1 cup of fresh berries (to scatter over base)
1 cup of fresh summer fruit for decoration
1 teaspoon of Bestow Berry Beautiful
METHOD
Melt the rice syrup and the coconut oil together in a cup – takes about 15 seconds in the microwave. Then add this mixture to a food processor with all the other ingredients and blitz to a crumb like consistency that sticks together well when pressed.
Add the base mixture to your tart tin (can be round or oblong – we used oblong 36cm long x 14cm wide with removable base) and press into it firmly with your hands (clean of course) and then finish by pressing with the back of a spoon. Freeze for half an hour.
While your base is in the freezer make the filling. Add the cup of mixed berries to a bullet or blender and puree.
Add the tin of coconut cream to a pot and heat over a medium heat for a few minutes so that any lumps of solid coconut melt and you have a nice smooth liquid. Whisk in the cornflour, agar agar, vanilla and berry puree.
Bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes, stirring often. It should now be nice and thick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
Remove your base from the freezer. Scatter a cup of fresh berries such as blueberries over the base. Whisk your cooled filling briefly and pour over the base, place in the fridge to set. At this point you can leave to set for 30 minutes or longer – even overnight. You can also cover it and freeze for a later date.
To decorate, remove from tin and top with fresh berries or and/or sliced summer fruit, dust with Bestow Berry Beautiful – it’s the new icing sugar without the refined sugar!
Slice and serve with Raglan Coconut Yoghurt.
