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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Recipe: Banana Custard Fruit Tart

Do you like dessert but sometimes dread the amount of time it takes to make it? For the dessert-loving but ultimately lazy cooks (like me), here's an idea: raw tarts. Quick, easy, and delicious treats that you can eat right off the bat -- now who doesn't like that?

These are great for the summer, when turning on the oven is unimaginable in 25-plus-degree weather, and also do well as a frosty treat when left to chill in the freezer for up to an hour before serving.

This recipe can be easily adapted if you are allergic to tree nuts, sesame, or coconut or lactose intolerant. (See below for substitutions.)


Banana Custard Fruit Tart
Inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life.

To email, print, or text this recipe, click here.

Ingredients

For the tart:
3/4 cup whole almonds, raw (or seeds, if nut allergic)
1/3 cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds, raw
1/4 cup oats or buckwheat groats
3/4 cup dates, raisins, prunes, and/or dried cranberries
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
pinch nutmeg or cinnamon, to taste (optional)

For the filling:
1 large banana, ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons milk (rice, soy, coconut, almond, etc.), plus more if needed
1 tablespoon coconut oil (recommended, optional)
1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax seed
1 teaspoon tahini, or other nut or seed butter (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla (or seeds from a quarter of a vanilla bean) 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
dash of honey (optional)

For the topping:
Sliced fruit, whole berries, shredded unsweetened coconut, chocolate, etc.

Instructions

1. In a food processor, grind the nuts, seeds, and oats (or buckwheat, if using) into a rough flour. Add the dried fruit, and pulse until the mixture can be pressed together. It will resemble a crumbly dough, like pastry or shortbread dough. You want it to be sticky to the touch, enough to hold together, but not gooey or soft to the touch.

2. Press the tart dough into mini or medium muffin tins. Chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Silicone muffin cups work best, since the dough will not stick to the surface. Metal tins, coated or uncoated, also work, but be prepared to ease the tart shells away from the surface of individual muffin cups after freezing (or to bang the muffin tin on your cutting board until the shells fall out.

3. While the tart shells chill, combine the filling ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a little more liquid, as necessary. The custard should be smooth and slightly runny. It will thicken up and set over time due to the coconut oil and chia or flax seeds.

4. To assemble the tarts, remove the tarts from the muffin tins. Spoon enough custard into each tart shell to fill it three-quarters of the way full. Return to fridge to set.

5. Before serving, top with your fruit and other toppings of choice. Store extra tarts (if any) in the fridge in a sealed container lined with parchment.

Substitutions:

For nuts, simply substitute an equal amount of seeds, adding a little extra if the dough is too sticky. Tahini (sesame butter) can be substituted for almond, peanut, or a different seed butter or omitted altogether. The coconut oil, while optional, is recommended, as it gives the custard a smoother, creamier, and more consistent texture and helps it set in the fridge. The custard may be a little thinner if you omit the tahini and/or coconut oil, so you may want to add a little more flax or chia (which readily absorb liquid) or cut down the amount of liquid. The type of milk used is up to you. Soy, almond, and coconut all work well in this recipe; however, dairy milk (which curdles easily when citric acid is added) has not been tested, so please use your discretion. To make the recipe gluten-free, use certified GF oats.

If you have luck with any other substitutions, leave a comment and share your ideas!

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