This week for The Food Matters Project, Margarita chose Walnut Biscotti. Now, I’ve never made biscotti… and I’ve never been really drawn to it, I’m admittedly a chewy cookie kinda gal.

But the walnut part got me thinking.

And I’d seen this amazing chocolately-nutty-datey tart floating around in the internet recently, it just seemed like the right thing to do. And let me tell you… it was!

I made a grain-free almond crust, pureed the dates and walnuts together for the filling, and topped it off with a raw chocolate ganache.

This is a gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy free, vegan, (mostly) raw dessert that is actually delicious. I know, it’s wild.

It was really sweet. I could only eat half the tart, but don’t worry, I saved the other half for later.

And don’t forget to check out the biscotti successes over at The Food Matters Project. I may just be swayed over to the biscotti side yet, especially after all the great things the group had to say about the recipe… and biscotti can be dipped in chocolate, so that’s a huge +1 in my books.

RAW CHOCOLATE WALNUT-DATE TARTS
Adapted from the beautiful blog Gourmande in the Kitchen
makes 5 3.5 inch tarts (or 1 9 inch tart – I made 4 of the 3.5 inch ones and had some leftover that I put in a small dish)

For the Crust – combine the following in food processor until it is finely ground and crumbly, press into tart shells (with removable bottoms)
2 cups almonds
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp maple syrup (not technically raw, you can use honey but it’s not vegan)
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
a few drops water if needed to help it come together

For the Walnut-Date Filling – combine in food processor until creamy, then stir in walnuts and scoop into tart shells
8 Medjool dates (or 10 of the dried, baking dates) soaked in 1/3 cup warm water
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (stir in after processing)

For the Chocolate Ganache Topping – stir together and spoon onto tarts
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 drop stevia (or 2 more tbsp maple syrup)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup raw cacao powder

Top tarts with chopped walnuts (1/4 cup) and chill in fridge to set for 30 mins before digging in.

*note* This is a very rich dessert, and while it doesn’t contain any refined sugar, wheat flour, butter, and milk products, it is by no means a freebie treat. It’s got lots of coconut oil, nuts, and maple syrup, so that means it’s also got lots of calories. It’s still better than your average processed dessert, but it’s best enjoyed in moderation and with a great big smile on your face!