Dark Chocolate Tart

Dark Chocolate Tart excerpted from My Vegan Kitchen: Delicious plant-based recipes for every day by Dunja Gulin. Photography by William Reavell.

My Vegan Kitchen: Delicious plant-based recipes for every day by Dunja Gulin

The perfect collection of recipes to equip and inspire anyone starting out on their vegan journey.

60 deliciously achievable recipes from creative chef, teacher, and nutritionist Dunja Gulin that will convert even non-vegans!

Clear, accessible information about key vegan ingredients, getting all the essential vitamins and minerals on a vegan diet, making clever substitutions and how to make and buy everyday store cupboard basics.

Recipes range from tasty breakfast and brunch ideas to simple, fun food for every day, including spicy burgers with sweet potato wedges, tofu sandwiches and a versatile pizza base.

Stylish dishes such as warm spelt and asparagus salad, minestrone with pearl barley, hazelnut panna cotta and cheat’s ice cream make delicious vegan entertaining easy.

Also included are instructions on how to make nutritious nut milks and cheeses so that vegans don’t have to miss out on their dairy favourites.

My Vegan Kitchen: Delicious plant-based recipes for every day by Dunja Gulin is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.

Combining dark chocolate with a slightly sour berry sauce is a delicious and healthy dessert. In conventional recipes, ganache is made from cream, but I use soft tofu instead and the result is a smooth and rich ganache.

For the crust

200 g/1½ cups unbleached plain/all-purpose flour

75 g/½ cup fine cornflour/ cornstarch

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

¼ teaspoon sea salt

120 g/½ cup non-hydrogenated margarine, chilled

60 g/scant ¼ cup brown rice syrup or agave syrup

zest of 1 organic lemon

For the ganache

600 g/20 oz. medium-soft tofu

400 g/14 oz. vegan dark/bittersweet chocolate (60–70% cocoa), in pieces

1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate

zest of 2 organic lemons

brown rice syrup, or other sweetener, to taste (optional)

a little non-dairy milk or cream, if necessary

For the sauce

300 g/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

120 ml/½ cup water

170 g/½ cup rice syrup or heaping 3⁄4 cup demerara/raw brown sugar

1 organic lemon, zest and juice

1 tablespoon kuzu or cornflour/cornstarch

28-cm/11 in.-springform cake pan or 28-cm/11-in tart pan

Serves 12

To make the crust, combine the flours, baking powder and salt in a food processor and use the pulse setting to mix. Add the margarine and pulse 6–8 times until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea-sized pieces of margarine. Add the syrup and lemon zest and pulse again a couple of times. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough doesn’t hold together, add a little water and pulse again. Be careful not to add too much water, as it will make the crust tough. Place the dough in a mound on a clean work surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball – do not over-knead. Form a disc, wrap in clingfilm/ plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but it’s best to leave it overnight. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before rolling.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4. For the ganache, blanch the tofu in a pan for 10 minutes and then drain it. In a double boiler (see page 127 for instructions), melt the chocolate. Blend the tofu with the chocolate, lemon juice and zest in a blender until very smooth. If it’s too bitter, blend in the syrup. If it’s too thick, add non-dairy milk or cream while blending.

Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a circle 31 cm/12¼ in. in diameter. With the help of a rolling pin, line the cake/tart pan with the dough. Trim the edges using a pastry wheel, if using a springform pan, or remove the excess dough by pressing it outwards with your fingers, if using a tart pan. Patch up any holes with leftover dough. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake for 8–10 minutes. Spoon the ganache over the crust and even it with a spatula. Return to the oven and bake until the edges turn lightly golden, around 15 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let cool.

For the sauce, combine the blueberries, water, syrup or sugar and lemon zest and juice in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a slow boil, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, mix the kuzu or cornflour/cornstarch with a little cold water. Stir this slowly into the sauce, without crushing the berries. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until reaching the desired thickness. While still warm, spoon over each slice of the pie just before serving.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Firefly Books.