Heart’s Desire Tart

You will need a heart-shaped tin with a loose base. Tin sizes vary but this is a dessert for two to share so you’re looking for a tin no more than 25cm / 9 ½ inches across the widest part. 

For the base:

Ingredients

• 150g / 5 oz almonds
• 12 dates, stoned
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 150 / 5 oz vegan dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• A pinch of salt

Method

1. Put the almonds, dates, oil, chopped chocolate and salt into a food processor and process to a fine breadcrumb consistency. 

2. Line the base of the tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment. 

3. Press the base mixture into the tin, and use the back of a spoon to flatten and smooth it. 

4. Put the tin into the freezer while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:

Ingredients

• 260g / 5 oz cashews, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
• 200g/ 7 oz frozen red berry fruits
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp coconut oil

Method

1. Drain the cashews and transfer to the bowl of a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Process until smooth. 

2. Retrieve the tin from the freezer and spread the filling evenly over the base. 

3. Return to the freezer.

For the decoration:

Ingredients

• Vegan dark chocolate
• More red berries or dried rose petals, optional

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. 

2. Spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag – there are useful videos on YouTube showing the method for piping chocolate. 

3. Pipe your personal message and decorative hearts (or whatever you like!) onto a sheet of baking parchment or a teflex sheet, cool and transfer the whole thing to the freezer. 

To serve, remove the tart from the tin and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then decorate with the hardened chocolate, and perhaps some more red berries or dried rose petals before serving.