Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache Tart

This is a bigger, pimped-up version of my mini ganache bites recipe, which has always been a hit. Not one person has ever guessed the secret main ingredient! The ganache filling is light & soft & melts in your mouth, like a wonderfully moist mousse.

Base

20 pitted dates

½ cup hazelnuts

¼ cup cashews

¼ cup almonds

Filling

300g silken tofu (silken is most important, as it’ll give the creamiest finish)

2 good Tbsp cacao or cocoa powder

2 good Tbsp pure maple syrup, plus an extra dash or more if you’ve got a sweet tooth

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the base by blitzing all the ingredients in a high speed blender, food processor or bullet, until a thick ‘dough’ forms. If your dates are a little dry & the dough isn’t sticking together, try adding a teaspoon or two of water to get that dampness. Using damp hands, press into a small loaf tin or even a small round cake pan.   I have a 11 x 23 cm silicon loaf ‘tin’ which works well. You could use a kitchen container of similar proportions – this isn’t going in the oven, so it doesn’t need to be heatproof.

I usually lightly grease the tin with coconut oil, plus I add a couple of strips of baking paper across the bottom, to help me lift it out easily later.

Make sure you press the ‘dough’ up the sides of the tin, creating a tart casing for filling to be poured into.

To make the filling, use a bullet or high speed blender to blitz all the ingredients together, until beautifully smooth. You don’t want to see any white flecks of tofu at all, just luscious brown creaminess.

Pour into the base and pop in the fridge to set.

Serving note: this tart can melt fast in warm weather. Keep it in the fridge for as long as you can before serving!