Blueberry Tart

Fancy a little tart? I have used organic frozen blueberries in this recipe because, although they are a few dollars more, they are so much plumper and ‘blueberry-tasting’ than the regular kind.

Ingredients

Base

1 cup walnuts
1 cup dried coconut (desiccated or flakes)
1 cup dates
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons cocoa
zest of half a lime
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

Filling

2 cups + 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup dates
2 tablespoons chia seeds

Garnish

1/4 cup coconut chips (or dessicated or threads or fresh, sliced thinly)
few squares of dark chocolate (cut into shards) or a handful of cocoa nibs
zest of half a lime

Method

Spread out frozen blueberries on a paper towel to thaw. Put both lots of dates into separate bowls/cups, cover with boiling water and set aside.

Base

Put all base ingredients, apart from dates, into a food processor and blend until crumbly. Roughly drain dates and add to food processor and blend again. Press mixture into a paper lined tart tin, press the filling up the sides of the pan with your fingers and put in the fridge.

Filling

Put 2 cups of blueberries and drained dates into food processor and blend until smoothish. Remove blade, add chia seeds and stir well. Pour over base and sprinkle the remaining half a cup of blueberries on the top.

Garnish

Put coconut chips (or thinly sliced fresh coconut) into a pan to toast (shake regularly). When coconut is almost done, add in the lime zest and toast a little more. Once cool, combine with the chocolate shards or nibs and sprinkle over filling. Refrigerate until served. If you prefer a raw topping, just combine ingredients and sprinkle away.

Serve with a little drizzle of coconut cream, or if you tolerate dairy, a dollop of fresh cream or greek yoghurt – will definitely keep those cherry pie monsters at bay :-)