This year we are spending Christmas with my in-laws down in Victoria, so we are having an early Christmas with my parents before we go. Our family Christmas’ usually involve an all-day eating affair with a never-ending parade of delectable treats.
Mum and Dad arrived about 10am, the bubbly was opened, and the feasting began. We had all sorts of goodies (all gluten & dairy-free of course) that culminated in this spectacular dessert. A rich, velvety, luscious chocolate mousse cake. My husband kept saying over and over “I can’t believe this is dairy-free! But it tastes so creamy! And it’s so smooth….and delicious…”
Needless to say, by breakfast the next morning, there wasn’t any chocolate tart left!
I loved it because it was easy to make, not at all fiddly, and quick to decorate with a punnet of fresh edible flowers I had picked up at the greengrocers.
Chocolate Mousse Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
- 1/4 cup cacao
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp rice bran syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp instant coffee
Filling
- 2 avocado
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp instant coffee
- 1/4 cup cacao
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup rice bran syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 cups raw cashews
Decoration
- 35 g Cacao butter or coconut oil
- 3 tbsp rice bran syrup or honey
- 2 tbsp cacao
- 1 punnet Fresh EDIBLE flowers
Instructions
Crust
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined.
- Press into a flan tin, over the base and up the sides. I use a flan tin with a removable base to make it easier to serve the flan when it’s ready.
- Bake the flan in a preheated oven at 180oC for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before putting the filling in.
Filling
- Soak the cashews in 1 litre of boiling water for 1-2 hours to soften.
- Drain the cashews and blend for 2-3 minutes in a food processor or blender with just enough water to make a smooth paste until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Place the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top with a knife or spatula.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to set.
- When set, decorate as desired.
Decoration
- Place the cacao butter, rice bran syrup and cacao in a small pot. Over the lowest heat possible, gently melt them together.
- Remove from the heat just before the last of the cacao butter has melted and whisk until smooth.
- Place the melted chocolate into a small piping bag and drizzle over the tart (or you can drizzle it with a spoon if you prefer).
- Decorate with the flowers and serve.
