This decadent chocolate cherry ‘Black Forest’ tart is not only 100% vegan but also refined sugar-free, gluten free and refined sugar free and a deliciously decadent summer dessert recipe!
Prepare the hazelnut tart crust. Do this by blending the hazelnuts and the desiccated coconut (you can use store-bought or make your own) in a food processor/blender till a fine crumb.
Add the rest of the crust ingredients * and mix well until you obtain a uniform sticky mixture.
Add the crust dough to a tart tin (8"/20cm) and spread it evenly across the whole surface*. I usually use something with a large, flat round base to help press the crust down evenly. Something like a marge glass base will work well.**
Bake at 160ºC (fan assisted) for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Make sure that the sides don't burn - you can cover them up with some aluminium foil after 5-7 minutes if they are browning quickly to allow the rest of the crust to bake.
To prepare the filling, first, remove the pits from the cherries and mash or blend them to obtain a purée like consistency. I used a glass straw to remove the pits - however, you can just chop them in half and remove the pits if preferred. If you want a more pronounced cherry flavour, add more than just 1 cup ( around 1 1/2 cups).
Melt the chocolate. It's best to do it over a double-boiler, but you can also melt it in the microwave. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so you don't burn the chocolate as that will affect the taste of the entire tart.
Add all the chocolate cherry filling ingredients to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir well, bringing to a slow boil and cook for a few minutes until the mix thickens, stirring continuously. ***
When the mixture has become thicker, remove from the heat and pour through a sieve to remove any remaining lumps from the cherries.
Pour the filling over the crust and set aside for it to cool completely to room temperature (or set in the refrigerator). Once cooled down, proceed with decorating. You will notice, that depending on how much corn flour (and agar agar) you've used, the filling sets at different levels.
Decorate your black forest tart with cherries, dragon fruit balls, shredded coconut and edible flowers or with your favourite toppings. This can include coconut whipped cream, dairy-free chocolate shavings etc.
Video
Notes
* if your dates feel a little dry then soak them in not water for a few minutes before blending. This should help them be more'juicy' and stop you having to add any extra dates. ** You can also use a rectangle tart pan for a tray-bake style tart that you can cut into chocolate bar individual-portion sizes. *** If you like the filling to be thicker, add a little more corn flour.