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Almond & Medjool Date Tart

December 19, 2016 · Natalie 98 Comments

A healthier take on a date tart with a luxuriously creamy but refined sugar-free filling surrounded by a buttery rich but oil-free almond crust and crumble! Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.

Time for a break in the cute, round, finger-food festive desserts. How about something sliceable with a touch more elegance. Only a touch though, it is still streusel-topped after all and streusel doesn’t exactly scream fancy pants.

The fact that this is a tart, not a pie, does make me feel a bit fancy, I must say. There is just an inherent elegance with a tart that pie can’t quite pull off. The fact that I had to go out and buy a tart pan specifically for this recipe does not, however. Nor does the fact that I came dangerously close to buying the set of six mini tart pans instead because they would’ve just been so cute in the photos. I resisted though, so no need to talk about that.

So I am now the owner (and store-er) of a tart pan, which feels like a step in the elegance direction. And a step backwards on the minimalist direction, but that’s another topic entirely.

Perhaps the real irony here is the fact that a tart pan makes me feel elegant just shows how utterly un-elegant I am. But it’s true.

Even if “elegance” is too subjective a word to really come to a decisive conclusion on the tart pan = elegance question, if I could virtually pass you a slice of this tart right now I am pretty sure we would agree that this is some seriously sweet scrumptiousness nestled inside one perfectly toasty almond shell.

But before I get ahead of myself and gush on about the date overload (in a good way!) that is the filling, let’s start with the crust. This crust is my FAVORITE crust currently–I fall in love with it more and more every time I make it. It’s the same crust I used on these mini pie cups just multiplied. It’s gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, and only requires 3 simple ingredients. Almond flour + maple syrup + water. Almond flour has so much natural nutty richness, I swear the crust tastes buttery somehow!

The concept of a date tart is actually rather new to me. Of course I am a big fan because dates-in-everything is practically my tagline. And I would like to know where the world has been hiding this date-y dessert from me all these years? But hey, let’s just focus on the present and make up for lost date tart eating time.

It seems to be one of those obscure forgotten desserts that is vaguely holiday-esque…maybe. I’m not really sure. What I do know is that it involves a crust, chopped dates squished in the bottom, and a layer of typically eggy, sugar-laden custard baked on top. For the custard I swapped all the usual ingredients for a blended mix of more dates, coconut milk, vanilla, sea salt, and a little cornstarch to thicken. I recommend Medjool dates for this recipe because they are extra sweet and soft and delicious baked amidst a sea of sweet custard, but any kind will work.

Hey, remember that most amazing favorite almond crust I was just blabbering about? Well it just got even more amazing because it can double as a streusel topping. Yep, the streusel is actually just leftover crust that’s been crumbled up on top. Not lazy, smart. And who doesn’t want buttery textural contrast coming at you from all sides with every bite??

It’s quite a simple recipe really, but I am telling you it tastes so rich and decadent–like a salted caramel streusel-topped pie of sorts! Decadence without chocolate is possible after all. And by pie I mean tart of course, because remember we are being elegant today.

Almond & Medjool Date Tart

★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 75 minutes
Yield: 8 -10 servings 1x

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Description

A healthier take on a date tart with a luxuriously creamy but sugar-free filling surrounded by a buttery rich but oil-free almond crust and crumble!

Ingredients

Scale

Crust

3 cups almond flour
3 tbsp maple syrup
3–4 tbsp water

Filling

8–10 pitted Medjool dates (for layering in the bottom, chopped)
1 ½ cup pitted Medjool dates (about 15)
2 cups lite canned coconut milk*
½ tsp vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
Pinch of sea salt
1 ½ tbsp . cornstarch**

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour and maple syrup. Mix with a fork adding the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the texture is clumpy and holds together when squeezed.
Press 2/3 of the dough into a tart pan, making sure to cover all sides evenly and reserving 1/3 of the dough for the topping.
Spread the chopped dates into the bottom of crust.
Blend the 1 1/2 cup of dates with the coconut milk, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch until very smooth.
Pour into the crust. Spread evenly, covering the chopped dates.
Sprinkle on the remaining crust mixture.
Bake for approximately 45 mins at 375F.
Let it cool, then chill overnight before slicing and eating.
Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

*You can use a different non-dairy milk, but the light coconut milk will yield a richer, creamier texture for the filling.
**You can sub arrowroot starch but it may affect the texture slightly.

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Chunky Oatmeal Gingersnap Cookies

December 15, 2016 · Natalie 43 Comments

Crispy edges, chewy oat center, perfect sweet-spice balance–whip up a batch of these Chunky Oatmeal Vegan Gingersnap Cookies for snacking or holiday sharing!

And here I go contributing to the out-of-control Christmas cookie population problem I was just talking about. But the edges were so crispy and the center so chewy and the spice-sweet balance so perfect, I couldn’t help it! And next week when I may or may not post yet another cookie recipe I promise I’ll come with another semi-believable excuse.

Okay so maybe I did just get a little too caught up in the cookie-obsessed Christmas spirit. But since these cookies happened it would be rude of me not to share, don’t you agree?

There have been ginger things. There have been cookie things. But I just couldn’t let the month go by without putting the two together into one sweet-spiced splendid cookie bite! These Chunky Oatmeal Gingersnap Cookies are like the cute, nubbly cousin to last year’s roll out gingerbread cookies. Nowhere near as Christmas elegant, but perfect for holiday nibbling nonetheless. And somehow using actual oats instead of oat flour makes them feel borderline breakfast appropriate, so that’s a bonus.

The difference between gingerbread cookies vs. gingersnaps seems to be a slight and uncertain thing. I always thought a gingersnap was supposed to be thin and very crispy while a gingerbread cookie had more of a soft center and chewy texture. But google “gingersnaps” and you will see the word “chewy” mixed into many of the recipe titles. Chewy and simultaneously snappy?? Those things seem mutually cookie exclusive to me.

In my gingersnap research, there was mention of soft inside with crispy edges. There was mention of a cakey cookies and crispy cookies and chewy cookies and crunchy cookies (and why are there so many C words to describe cookies?) One website even said “either soft & chewy or crisp & crunchy”. Make up your mind cookies!

Another mystery–is it gingersnaps or a gingersnap cookies? Is the word cookie necessary or implied? So many questions…

One thing that is not even the least bit controversial about gingersnap cookies is that they need spice and lots of it! Mostly ginger, but some cinnamon and cloves too. For these gingersnap cookies, I used both fresh and ground ginger. So that means these are technically gingergingersnap cookies. But most importantly it means they are deliciously spiced and so very flavorful!

I still can’t tell you definitively what the texture of a gingersnap is supposed to be, but I can tell you all about the chunky-meets-chewy texture that is going on in these cookies. Chunky crusty edges, soft center–yep, I’m playing it safe with a little bit of both textural sides.

Based on my Oil-Free Crispy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, these cookies also get their crispy oatmeal edges from maple syrup instead of oil. Agave would work as well or even date or coconut syrup, but maple syrup tends to crystallize the best and the flavor mixes perfectly with all that spice.

I used quick oats instead of the classic rolled, just for something different. Rolled will work too, just be sure not to use oat flour or they will be chewy, cake-like cookies. When you are spooning the batter onto the cookie sheet it will seem very crumbly and not-dough like, almost like you are making granola. Just be sure to firmly press it into a ball, flatten if you like, and I promise it will bake together into a sturdy scrumptious cookie!