Chocolate tart recipe - Dark Chocolate and Chilli Tart

This chocolate tart recipe needs setting time and should be made 2 days before serving.

Serves 8-10 people

Prep time 90 mins plus chilling time

Ingredients

For the crust

130g ground almonds
140g GF flour
30g cacao powder
100g coconut oil,
100g unrefined cane sugar, fine

For the filling

300g good quality dark chocolate
400ml coconut milk
½ tsp. chilli powder*
2 tbsp.. agave syrup
1 vanilla pod
A pinch of sea salt

For the topping

300g mixed nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios and cashews)
30g agave syrup
½ teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
100g good quality dark chocolate, chopped
A few mint sprigs

*Needs to be made a day before serving

Method

For the crust

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Mix all the crust ingredients together with your hands, massaging the coconut oil into all the other ingredients. When everything is well incorporated and press the mixture into the base of a round tart pan to form the crust. Pierce holes through the crust with a fork and place in the freezer for an hour.

When ready, remove the crust from the freezer, cover with baking paper and fill with pie weights. Bake in the oven, for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and allow to cool, and when the pie is completely cooled, place back in the freezer for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight (this step is essential in order to remove the crust from the tin without breaking it).

For the filling

Before making the filling, remove the tart shell from the freezer, slide a knife around the edges and allow the crust to slip out of the tin. Place in the fridge while making the filling. Place the chocolate into a metal bowl and place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Add the coconut milk and, using a whisk, mix every now and again until the chocolate has melted and incorporated into the milk. Add the agave syrup, vanilla, chilli powder and salt and whisk well (at this point it would be good to taste the chocolate and decide whether you would like to add more chilli or not). Pour over the cooled tart shell and place in the fridge for an hour, or until chocolate is set.

For the topping

Place the nuts, chilli powder, cinnamon and sugar into a bowl and mix well. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and pour the nut mixture over it Bake at 170°C for 10 minutes or until the nuts are golden brown and the sugar has melted. When done, allow to cool. Remove the tart from the fridge, place on a serving plate and top with the nuts and sprinkles of dark chocolate and some mint leaves.