The underrated fruit of the berry family would have to be the blackberry. They are rich in sweetness and nutritional value, yet people tend to move towards the classic strawberry or raspberry.
I discovered my love for blackberries after eating blackberry jam with tahini on toast, much like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was surprised by how sweet the blackberries tasted, and the jam didn’t even include any added sugar, just a bit of apple juice concentrate. The flavour of blackberries almost reminded me of dates mixed with blueberries – you can definitely tell its from the berry family, yet there is something about its taste that almost makes it too sweet to even be classified as a traditional berry.
So, I attempted to make a blackberry dessert that I knew many people would love. I wanted to make something creamy yet light on the palette to give my audience a break from indulgent, rich desserts. Therefore, I decided to create a blackberry tart recipe. I believed that this was the best way to show off blackberries vibrant colour. I was actually surprised by how luminous the purple filling of my tart appeared when I added the blackberries to the mixture. I was expecting a darker tone; however, I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrant colour it produced.
Ultimately, I was tossing between whether to make a plain or chocolate tart base to accompany the blackberry filling. However, I knew that if I was to create a chocolate tart base, the bitterness from the cacao powder will effectively balance out the overly sweet flavour of the blackberries… and I was right. I cannot express to you how perfectly balanced this dessert is, and the best part about it is that you get to enjoy every bite if you wish to make it.
Blackberry Tart
GF DF V P
Serves 16 - 18
INGREDIENTS
Base
- 2 cups almond meal
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/3 cup cacao powder
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
Filling
- 1 1/2 cup blackberries
- 3/4 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees on fan bake. To make the base, mix all of the ingredients together in a food processor until completely combined. Place baking paper into a tart tin covering the inside walls and base. Spread the mixture evenly into the tart tin. Put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Take the tart tin out of the oven and allow the base to cool down for 10-15 minutes.
For the filling, soak the cashews in water for 3 hours or boil the cashews for 15 minutes until they become soft. Use a food blender to blitz the cashews until smooth. Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until completely combined. Pour the mixture into the tart tin. Put the tart tin in the fridge for 5 hours until the filling has set.
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