This isn't Claire Aldous' regular style of baking but it was certainly enjoyed by all at the office. A rich, avocado based chocolate mousse fills a chewy almond and date tart case and gets topped with a pistachio cream, fresh blueberries and juicy pomegranate seeds.
Serves: 8–10
INGREDIENTS
Tart case
12 pitted dried dates, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
1½ cups whole, roasted skin on almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon rice bran oil
Chocolate mousse
2 large, ripe avocados
4 tablespoons nut butter, I used almond
4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons good cocoa (I used Valrhona)
pinch sea salt
To serve
pistachio cream, recipe below
berry of choice
fresh pomegranate seeds if available
Pistachio Cream
½ cup raw pistachio nuts
½ cup raw cashew nuts
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
METHOD
Grease a 20cm loose based tart tin. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake
Tart case: Drain the dates and set aside. Put the almonds in a food processor and blend until well chopped. Add all the remaining ingredients and process until everything is well combined with no large pieces in the mixture.
Press into the tart tin, bringing it right up the sides and making sure it is an even thickness on the base and sides. Prick the base with a fork then bake for about 12 minutes or until golden but not catching and burning on the edges. Cool completely in the tin.
Mousse: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until thick and smooth.
Spoon into the cooled tart case and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To serve: Spread the pistachio cream over the mousse then top with fresh berries. It’s quite rich so small slices are recommended.
Pistachio Cream
Put both nuts into a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for 30 minutes.
Drain well then put in a blender with all the remaining ingredients. Add 2 tablespoons of water and blend until creamy and smooth. Add a little extra water if needed to thin the cream but it still needs to be thick enough to spread over the tart. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Makes about 1 cup.
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