Friday, May 10, 2013

Chocolate Truffle Tart for Mother’s Day


Chocolate. And lots of it. This is what’s on my mind with Mother’s Day this weekend! (And avocado toast – but that’s for another time.) I tend to prefer plain chocolate, the darker the better, and keep a stash of bars on hand for easy nibbling. Sometimes, though, I want my chocolate in a more elegant form, something pretty and festive.


When I was cooking at Hillel UW, a popular dessert that I often made for the students’ Shabbat dinners was a chocolate mousse pie. This pie was quite simple to make, using melted chocolate and whipped cream for the mousse and crushed Oreos and butter for the crust. Really, what’s not to love? College kids know a good thing!


Given my new love for coconut whipped cream, though, I decided to re-create this pie using it in place of dairy whipped cream. And I love pairing walnuts with chocolate, so I took my tweaks a step further and made a chocolate walnut crust. After grinding walnuts, cocoa powder and coconut sugar together, I stirred in some coconut oil and pressed the mixture into a spring form pan to form the crust. While it baked, I melted chocolate and whipped coconut cream.


I keep a can of coconut milk in the fridge now, so it’s easy to have chilled coconut cream to whip up quickly. By turning the can over and opening the bottom, you pour off the liquid (save it for making smoothies) and then scoop out the coconut cream. After beating it, you can add vanilla or a touch of sweetness and decadently dollop away.


For this tart, I added vanilla and espresso powder to the whipped cream before folding in the melted chocolate. After pouring the filling into the cooled crust, I chilled it to firm up. The last step was showering the finished tart with golden flakes of toasted coconut.


I sighed when I took my first bite. More truffle than mousse in texture, this is an insanely rich, dense, luscious tart, perfect to celebrate Moms everywhere. Wishing all of the Mamas a beautiful Mother’s Day!


Chocolate Truffle Tart
Serves 8-10

2 cups raw walnuts
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
6 ounces dark chocolate, 70-85 % is ideal
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 tablespoon hot water
1 15 ounce can whole, unsweetened coconut milk, chilled overnight
1 teaspoon vanilla
A pinch of sea salt
3/4 cup shaved coconut, toasted until golden

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, cocoa powder and coconut sugar together until the nuts are ground. Add the melted coconut oil and pulse a couple of times to mix. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and gently pat on the bottom to form the crust. Pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. The crust will be soft but will harden a bit as it cools. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

Melt the chocolate slowly over low heat, just until it is mostly smooth. Remove from the heat and stir to finish melting. Set aside to cool just a bit. Stir the espresso powder and hot water together in a small bowl.

Remove the coconut milk from the fridge. Turn the can over and open it. Slowly pour the clear liquid out (save for a smoothie!) and scoop the coconut cream out into a bowl. You should have about 1 cup. With an electric beater, whip the cream on high speed for about 3-4 minutes, until it lightens and is creamy. Add the espresso mix, vanilla and a good pinch of sea salt. Whip the cream on high again for a minute, scraping down the sides. Pour the melted chocolate in and gently fold it into the cream. Pour the chocolate mix into the cooled crust and gently spread it evenly.

Put the pan in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours before serving. You can prepare it the night before, too. When ready to serve, run a small knife around the edge and pop open the sides. If the top has cracked a bit, don’t worry – the coconut will hide it! Place the tart on a serving dish, shower the toasted coconut flakes on top and slice. The crust may remain a bit soft, so use a pie server to gently lift out each piece. I like the tart's texture and flavor after sitting out for about 15 minutes, as it softens just a bit and tastes richer.

34 comments:

  1. OMG! I am sending this to Becca to see if she remembers that dessert! This is a such a great idea - will be forwarding to #1 son - he loves coconut and I'm hoping he might decide to make this for me on Sunday :-)

    Another simple creative idea. When does your cookbook come out ??? I'll be your agent ok? !!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You always make me smile, Beth! Thank you for your kind words! The chocolate pie I made at Hillel was much lighter and mousse-like from the whipped cream - so good. I thought this tart would be similar, but the coconut milk yields a denser, silkier filling. Not a bad thing, and it's fun to experiment. Sending you warm hugs for mother's day!

      Delete
  2. Gorgeous! That toasted coconut on top looks fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sue! Toasted coconut always looks so pretty and festive. I love how it dresses up a dessert! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

      Delete
  3. Oh my this is a dangerous one. I like the coconut angle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lynda! I discovered this morning that a few nibbles make a decadent breakfast with a cup of coffee, too. Wishing you a lovely mother's day!

      Delete
  4. Oh Hannah...this is all I want now for Mother's Day!! Absolutely stunning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Barb! I wish this tart was more mail-friendly...I'd happily make one for you. I'll be thinking of you on mother's day and I'm sending you a big hug.

      Delete
  5. Hannah! Finally I can comment...I have not been able to comment on your posts from my stinkin Ipad...I have to from a desktop...really weird. Anyways, this looks like heaven to me! Gorgeous and super duper chocolatey...which of course is my favorite. I'm so happy you are loving the coconut whipped cream! It is divine isn't?! I love your photos :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Brandi! So good to hear from you. And yes, loving the whipped coconut cream! I want (need!!) to make your roasted strawberry mousse again soon...heavenly. Have a wonderful weekend!

      Delete
  6. OMG this sounds insane and perfect for Mother's Day. I need to check my pantry and see if I have enough walnuts to whip this up. I also keep a can of upside-down coconut milk in my fridge at all times now ;) Happy Mother's Day Hannah!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Alyssa! I think almonds would work well, too, in the crust - hope you enjoy it. Loving the whipped coconut cream and I'm going to mix some with berries and meringues for a Mother's Day treat. I also want to bake your banana chocolate chip cookies! Happy Mother's Day to you and your mom!

      Delete
  7. OMG this looks so awesome! I am on a diet and these deserts are just killing me right now :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy Mothers Day Hannah, what a beautiful tart, I love chocolate almost too much so this has my name on it. Have a wonderful Mothers Day, I hope you will be pampered by your family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Suzanne! I had a marvelous Mother's Day weekend and was well-spoiled by all my boys. I hope you enjoyed a happy Mother's Day, too, and indulged in some chocolate!

      Delete
  9. Wow Hannah...love this, you had me at chocolate truffle tart but that crust just sounds incredible! This one is heading to the must make list :) Have a lovely Mother's Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Mairi! I hope you enjoy the tart - always happy to share some chocolate love! I hope you're enjoying a lovely week.

      Delete
  10. I am totally impressed. Happy Mother's Day Hannah.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Penny! I hope you enjoyed a marvelous Mother's Day weekend. :)

      Delete
  11. Who doesn't like chocolate truffles? And made into a tart like this - insanely good, I'll bet. Really terrific. Happy Mother's Day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, John! You really can't go wrong with chocolate truffles in any form, can you? Lots of chocolate love here.

      Delete
  12. This looks exquisite!!! Happy Mother's Day to you. I'm hope you're being spoiled rotten!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Erina! I enjoyed a marvelous Mother's Day and was very well spoiled by my family. And what a gift this sunshine has been...chocolate on a sunny day makes me happy. I hope all is well with you!

      Delete
  13. Oh yes, I would be sighing too. Your tart looks wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Totally love the idea of coconut cream here. And love it that we both baked chocolate tarts for Mother's Day. So precious :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely, Kiran! Great minds, you know? Love your chocolate mousse with avocado!

      Delete
  15. Oh, my husband would LOVE this. And I love how you used all the forms of coconut. Chocolate and coconut are so wonderful together!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Susan! Coconut is such a favorite of mine - I'm hooked on coconut ice cream! - and when chocolate is added then I have no will power. It's all good!

      Delete
  16. I just read your most recent post and got coconut craving and now this beautiful chocolate tart with abundant coconut flakes on top. Drool... This not only looks pretty, it looks so delicious too!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, thank you, Nami! I appreciate your kind words. I'm happy to know we share a love of coconut! :)

      Delete
  17. what a perfect treat! wow! and gorgeous too! hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Alex! I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day, too, and were well spoiled!

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.