Vegan chocolate silken tart with granola crust
Happy very belated New Year, friends! How has 2022 been kicking off for you, so far? I’m a little leery of saying so, as it sounds at best facetious, but I do hope it’s been marked by positive energy and negative (or no need for) Covid tests (ugh).
I meant to share this leading up to new year, as a perfect celebration treat that tastes indulgent yet light, a perfect segue from the array of holiday delights that can leave us feeling saturated even when we don’t eat (m)any of them. Rich and silky, this smooth chocolate tart is a deceptively decadent tart–wholesome for what it is, while being wholly, blissfully dessert. The tofu, dark chocolate, coconut milk, and date filling comes together in a cinch in the blender, and the granola crust takes less than a minute to blitz in the food processor, then bake.
My Favorite Indulgence Chocolate Mocha Granola was a perfect base for the simple crust. The filling was a heavenly match for the lightly sweet, perfectly subtly bitter and salted notes, especially when sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. Pure yum!
Now, let’s talk about New Year for a minute. Did you set any resolutions? Do you want to groan, or roll your eyes, when asked that? I do. If you’ve ever read this blog or otherwise communicated with me around any New Year, you know I struggle with the abrupt shift in messaging and vibes. I also love the choices we make as individuals and a family, in health, fitness, lifestyle, and diet; I loathe the pressure around timing goal-setting based on the calendar. It’s much more comfortable and meaningful to maintain throughout, with an eye to keep on growing, progressing, and improving, don’t you think?
Well, it doesn’t really matter right now how we feel about goals. What I wanted to say after all that is, this year, I set some. It was something to do in the midst of shock and sorrow. Just as the year began to close, the extreme dryness and winds here resulted in devastating wildfires that ripped through our local communities. We were unscathed, but thousands were evacuated and whole neighborhoods razed within a thirty minute drive. This and the increasing frequency and ferocity of such events around the globe make me want to hone focused attention all the more into stretching to broaden the ways we can personally do our part to address climate change and to live wholly mindfully and compassionately.
The other goal, which doesn’t really have any connection to the first, was to stop taking things so personally. Obviously, these are both incredibly broad and not S.M.A.R.T, which rankles a little with the former teacher in me. Also, within just one week alone I’ve managed to feel like they’re both a setup to fail miserably. In the case of the latter, feelings of abysmal failure this soon is quite a feat, as I’m hardly getting to interact with anyone these days, Omicron continuing its sweep etc. It seems like everyone is sick!
I could go on longer, but you don’t need specifics, do you? What I want to share is the silver lining—in failure. I’ve been reading a lot of Pema Chodron lately, as a result have been striving to sit with and befriend my feelings and fears. This has led me to also channel Yoda on repeat. “The greatest teacher, failure is.” Yes???!! This year, for me, how striking that truth is! I don’t want to fall flat on my face, but realistically, what is life about if not failure? Failure isn’t falling to the bottom and staying there. It’s confirmation that we tried—which is a win. And we can keep trying and trying again. Being curious, discovering what doesn’t work, ultimately what does, and moving forward. That’s success.
Will we hit zero waste in our household? Probably not. But we will keep recycling, upcycling, re-using, bike commuting, and driving electric cars. We can expand our knowledge and skill for our garden in the summer, reduce the packaging of our foods, and get better at researching companies that align with our values, supporting them where we can afford to. Will I finally learn that other people’s opinions of me are none of my business? I hope so. I probably won’t stop caring, but I can quietly offer myself more understanding for why this is until it begins to feel less relevant.
What intentions have you set for the year, friends? Whatever they are, I hope you can revel in the process and not be too hard on yourselves. Wherever you are, wishing you a new year replete with loving kindness, inspired adventure, and hopeful promise. xo
Silky richness made from goodness!
Vegan Chocolate Tart with Granola Crust
For the crust:
1 ½ Cups My Favorite Indulgence Chocolate Mocha granola (or another of your choice)
⅓ Cup aquafaba
⅓ Cup almond flour
For the filling:
5-6 Medjool dates, soaked if needed
8-ounces tofu (silken would be lovely, but I went with firm)
½ to 3/4 Cup dark chocolate chips, melted
½ Cup coconut milk (I used light)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine crust ingredients in a food processor and press into a 6-inch tart pan or similar. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes and let cool.
Prepare the filling: blend all filling ingredients in a blender. Pour into the cooled crust. Place in the fridge or to set, at least two hours. If desired, place in the freezer for thirty minutes before serving.