Raspberry Cream Tart {Gluten-Free & Vegan}

I decided to revisit a recipe for a raspberry cream pie that I love making during the summer. In my favorite new baking book Gluten Free and Vegan Pie, I found a good recipe for an almond press-in crust, as well as a base for a cream that I twisted into a raspberry cream. When you are on a special diet, it's all about being creative and experimenting, which totally suits my personality.

The pastry dough is definitely a keeper as it tastes like an almond cookie. I will for sure reuse it for other tart recipes. It was the first time I was making a vegan cream based on cashews and agar flakes. I was a bit suspicious at first, being afraid my tart will taste fishy... But surprisingly, that was not the case at all.

The only thing that I can say is that it takes some time for the cream to set, so it needs to rest in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours before you can serve it, otherwise it will be a runny mess. In the end, this raspberry cream tart was really good and I hope this will inspire you to give it a try.




Ingredients
(Yield 8-10 servings)

Almond Press-In Crust
3 cups (330gr) ground almond
3 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt


Topping
½ cup raw cashew, soaked for 2 to 8 hours
1 13oz can BPA free whole coconut milk
2 medium bananas
2 cups (500gr) organic raspberries
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (60ml) water
3 tablespoons agar flakes
¼ cup (60ml) water
¾ cup (180ml) maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil
Fresh mint leaves for garnishing {optional}
Coconut shreds or dark chocolate shavings {optional}





Cooking Instructions


Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C).

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and mix until the dough start to form a cluster. Do not over process, the dough will be sticky. Press the dough in a 24cm pastry ring or a 10-inch pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust smells like toasted almonds. It will be golden and firm to the touch. Let it cool completely before filling, about 1 ½ hours.




Drain the cashews. Place them in a blender or the bowl of a food processor along with the coconut milk, bananas, raspberries {reserve some for presentation}, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla. Process throughly until very creamy and smooth. Leave the mixture in the blender.

In a small saucepan, combine the water, agar flakes and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then reduce to heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the coconut oil. Add this mixture to the raspberry mixture in the blender and process until smooth and creamy.

Pour the cream in a bowl and refrigerate for at least a 2 to 4 of hour until it is really set. When you are ready to serve, spread the cream over the almond crust, decorate with raspberries and fresh mint leaves.

Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies {Gluten-Free & Vegan}

I haven't bake for more than 6 months because my husband and I were on an auto-immune Paleo diet, which is very restrictive, but great to loose those extra pounds. Since we are now starting to reintegrate some ingredients, I am so excited to start experimenting with baking. Still, I will have to make sure it is gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free. The only grain that I can really use is rice, so rice flour is going to be my baking staple.

I have been following a lot of Paleo and Vegan blogs to find some inspiration, and was really smitten by Deliciously Ella. While browsing the dessert section, I found a Chocolate brownie recipe based on sweet potatoes and dates that really looked scrumptious, so I decided to try it.

I made 2 versions of the recipe: a Chocolate one for me, and a Five Spices {Cinnamon, Ginger, Clove, Cardamon and Allspices} for my husband as he is sensitive to chocolate {Recipe coming soon!}.

These chocolate brownies are so rich in flavor and texture, that even non-vegan or health conscious people get crazy about them. I hope you'll get inspired to try them as they are not only good for your taste buds as they are for your health.




Ingredients

Chocolate Brownies
(Yield 16 small pieces)
2 pounds (900gr) of sweet potatoes
2/3 of a cup (120gr) of ground almonds
1/2 a cup (70gr) of brown rice flour
6oz (170gr) of fresh dates {Medjool dates are the best}
4 tbsp (100gr) of raw cacao or 100% pure Valrhona chocolate
4 tbsp of pure maple syrup
Raw cacao for dusting
Sea salt
Seasonal fruits for serving





Cooking Instructions

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350°F (180°C), then peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into chunks and place into a steamer for about 20 minutes, until they become really soft.

Once they are perfectly soft and beginning to fall apart remove them, and add them to a food processor with the pitted dates – this will form one of the sweetest, creamiest, most delicious mixes ever!

Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl, before mixing in the sweet potato date combination. Stir well.

Place into a lined baking dish and cook for 30 minutes for the chocolate brownies until you can pierce the brownie cake with a fork bringing it out dry. Remove the tray and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. {this is really important as it needs this time to stick together}.

Remove the brownies from the tray, sprinkle with raw cacao, and leave it another few minutes before cutting them into squares and they are ready to be enjoyed.

I personally found them to be even better after a night spent in the fridge. They are delicious cold served with some seasonal fruits, a scrumptious dessert that can be prepared all year long.





Health Benefits

Not only these brownies are delicious, but they also are nutritional powerhouses thanks to the sweet potatoes which is known to be rich in antioxidants {Vitamin A} and ‘slow burning’ fibers, with anti-inflammatory properties on the brain and nervous tissues, as well as a being blood sugar regulator. Pure cacao also is an amazing source of antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients such as manganese, magnesium and sulphur.