Chocolate & Vanilla Raspberry Swirl Tartlets
Cheesecake goes dairy free in these creamy, lightly sweetened tartlets. As the luxurious cashew 'cream' melts on your tongue I promise you won't miss the cheese one bit. Cocoa powder boosts the flavour of the tartlets while adding some antioxidants as well.
Cheesecake goes dairy free in these creamy, lightly sweetened tartlets. As the luxurious cashew 'cream' melts on your tongue I promise you won't miss the cheese one bit. Cocoa powder boosts the flavour of the tartlets while adding some antioxidants as well.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup raw walnuts or macadamia nuts
- .25 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- .5 cup pitted medjool dates packed
- .5 teaspoon ground ginger
- .25 teaspoon sea salt
- 1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours
- .5 cup canned coconut milk (full fat) divided use
- 5 tablespoons honey or maple syrup divided use
- 4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided use
- 4 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, divided use
- 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- .25 cup all natural raspberry jam
- Carbohydrate 6.38396603777018 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.14353062503947 g
- Fiber 1.00959163600342 g
- Protein 0.477897500041679 g
- Saturated Fat 2.75853331252325 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (12g)
- Sodium 38.5018020831966 mg
- Sugar 5.37437440176676 g
- Trans Fat 0.187361375001786 g
- Calories 52 calories
Step-by-step
- Line 12 cups of a standard muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process the walnuts and shredded coconut until finely ground.
- Add the dates, ginger and salt.
- Process until the dates are fully incorporated into the nuts and the mixture holds together when pinched between your fingers.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the lined muffin cups and press the dough firmly into the bottom of each cup.
- Place the pan in the freezer.
- Drain the cashews.
- Place about half of the cashews in to a high speed blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade.
- Add .25 cup coconut milk, 3 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, and the cocoa powder.
- Blend until very creamy and smooth.
- Spoon the mixture on top of the frozen crusts, spreading it out or tapping the pan on the countertop to ensure even distribution.
- freeze for at least 20 minutes.
- Clean out the blender or food processor and place the remaining cashews in the machine.
- Add the remaining .25 cup coconut milk, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, and the vanilla.
- Blend until creamy and very smooth.
- Remove the muffin pan from the freezer.
- Spoon the vanilla mixture on top of the frozen chocolate layer, spreading it out or tapping the pan on the countertop to ensure even distribution.
- In a small pan, heat the raspberry jam over very low heat, stirring constantly, until thin and pourable.
- Drop a few very small spoonfuls of jam over each tart.
- Swirl the jam into the vanilla layer with the tip of a knife.
- Freeze the tarts for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Store frozen tarts in an airtight container in the freezer.
- Thaw for 5-10 minutes before serving.
A dense, date-bound nut crust yields immediately to a velvety, two-tiered filling of blended raw cashews, coconut milk, and coconut oil that contrasts sharply with tart ribbons of warmed raspberry jam. Achieving this silkiness relies entirely on thoroughly rehydrating the cashews. Soaking raw nuts in water for at least six hours softens the cell walls, allowing mechanical blade action to shear them into a smooth emulsion rather than a gritty paste.
The Physics of Plant-Based Emulsions
Dairy-free cheesecakes depend on saturated fats to mimic the setting properties of milk proteins. Virgin coconut oil remains solid at cool temperatures, which provides the structural stability needed when the tartlets sit at room temperature for five minutes prior to eating. High-speed blending forces microscopic fat droplets and water molecules from the coconut milk into suspension, stabilized by the natural starches and proteins released from the soaked cashews. Warming the jam over very low heat reduces its viscosity just enough to let a knife blade draw clean, distinct swirls through the pale vanilla layer without tearing the delicate surface.
- Grind walnuts and shredded coconut until the mixture holds together under moderate pressure; excess oil extraction will yield a greasy crust.
- Scrape down the blender sides repeatedly during the cashew purée phase to eliminate graininess.
- Store finished tartlets in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month.
