I find that love for people, animals and nature offers some hope and refuge in this robotic, hate-filled modern world so, while I never used to be a big fan of the Valentine’s day, whatever gets people to focus on what they have in common instead of what divides them gets my vote. Also, because I am a massive chocolate fiend, Valentine’s day provides a good excuse to post something decadent like these chocolate and raspberry tarts, whose flavours simply belong together.
These cute mini-tarts are a sure way to impress your other half and they do not require much skill. The only element that requires some experience and finesse is making the pastry shells, but if that’s too much pressure, make play-dough like non-bake tart cases instead. They could not be easier to make. The remaining two layers are dead simple. To make the raspberry layer mash some frozen (or fresh) raspberries with a fork and combine with agar agar or ground chia seeds to give them a bit more body. Ganache is simply dark chocolate melted into some almond milk and sweetened with a little bit of maple syrup to create a lovely contrast with the naturally tart raspberries. That’s all there is to it, it’s dead simple yet delicious and looks impressive. What’s not to love? Enjoy!
½ cup mashed frozen raspberries, juices drained (about 150 g) ¾ tsp agar agar powder (or 2¼ tsp agar agar flakes) or 2 tbsp ground chia / flax seeds
VEGAN GANACHE
100 g / 3.5 oz 70% vegan dark chocolate 80 ml / 1/3 cup almond milk 2 tbsp maple syrup freeze-dried raspberry powder (optional)
VEGAN GANACHE ASSEMBLY
