Who doesn’t love a chocolate tart? And when that tart is doubled up on the chocolate, no bake, and made from wholesome ingredients, each bite is that much more satisfying.
These Lavender Chocolate Tarts are my copy cat version of Hail Merry Tarts. I recently discovered these chocolatey treasures at my local health food store and was blown away by how delicious they were. These tarts are gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free, but 100% delicious. At over $5 a pop, I had to figure out a way to make them at home.
What’s most special about these tarts is their cream-free ganache filling. It sounds strange to make a ganache out of coconut oil, honey, and cocoa powder, but I can assure you that the results are amazing. The ganache is also a cinch to make. No stove top, no microwave…just a few mixes with a spoon and you’re done.
Because the crust is gluten-free, it has slightly less holding power than a normal tart crust would. If you are in a time pinch, the solution is to serve the tarts in shallow, bordered tins or plates. If you have an hour of chilling time to spare, you can create free-standing tarts using smooth sided tart rings. The unfluted edges of these rings allow the tart shells an easier release.
A touch of lavender cuts into the rich taste of the chocolate, and the purple buds are a pretty way to dress up the rich cocoa canvas. If you don’t love this floral taste, omit the extract and buds and decorate the tops of the tarts with some large pieces of sea salt instead.
Lavender Chocolate Tarts pair well with lavender infused teas (like this Black Lavender from my recent ChaHoney tea mailer) or even Jasmine green tea. You’d probably think that the tea gets overwhelmed by the dark chocolate taste, but instead, the tea helps to brighten the palette, highlighting the tart’s subtle flowery notes. Serve the tea warm and each bite of this luxurious tart will melt in your mouth.
Lavender Chocolate Tarts
Makes 3-3 1/4″ tarts.
Ingredients:
{Filling}
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lavender extract (optional)
culinary lavender buds, to decorate
{Crust}
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
non-stick vegetable oil spray
Equipment:
2 mixing bowls
round tart rings and a medium-sized, parchment lined baking sheet or small tart/quiche plates
sharp, thin knife
Directions:
1. In a mixing bowl, make the crust by mixing together the almond meal, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Blend in the cocoa powder until there are no remaining lumps. Add the coconut oil, honey, and vanilla until you get a homogenous crust mixture that clumps together easily.
2. Spray the tart rings with non-stick spray, then place them on the baking sheet. Roughly divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Press one portion of the dough into each tart shell. Use the tart dough tamper to create evenly thick bases and sides to each tart shell. Set these aside.
3. Make the chocolate ganache filling by mixing the filling ingredients together in a bowl. Continue to mix until you get a homogenous ganache. If the ganache seems a bit too thick, add an extra drop or two of coconut oil.
4. Fill the tart shells with the ganache until just full. Sprinkle a few lavender buds on the top of the tarts as a garnish. While still parked on the baking sheet, place the tarts into the fridge to chill for an hour.
5. When it’s time to serve, use a thin knife to ease the tarts out of their ring molds. Serve the tarts at or just under room temperature.