chocolate berry tart

I wanted to create something special for a dessert when we had guests, that was both primal and not a 'compromise'.  I did my usual trawl through the internet and found various suggestions for pastry alternatives.  Using a combination of my own ideas and some inspiration from the wealth of sites out there, I came up with this.  Not strictly primal (and let alone Paleo - eek!)......but, a decadent luxury all the same!
Ingredients:
For the base:
1 1/2 cups of dates
1 1/2 cups of dessicated coconut (the finer the better)
1 1/2 cups of almond flour
225g butter (in small pieces)
1/2 cup water
For the filling:
handful of mixed berries (or just your favourites if you like - frozen are great for this)
1 tin of coconut cream (400ml)
1 block of dark chocolate (I like the highest % of cocoa I can find)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract (or a pod if you have one)
300ml cream

I used a 9"/23cm tart tin. 

Preheat the oven to 190C
1. Put the dates into a food processor and whizz up until they are chopped into small pieces.  Add the coconut, almond flour and butter and turn the blender back on.  At this stage you can gradually add the water.  It isn't going to make pastry as you know it, so as soon as it begins to come together then turn off the blender.  If your blender is small like mine, this may take two batches.
2. Take the base mixture out of the blender and press into your tart tin.  You will need to build up the sides if you wish to create the type of tart that can be filled.
3. Put into your preheated oven and bake for approximately 15mins.  As I mentioned in yesterday's post, almond flour can cook quickly, so keep an eye on it.  The sides will brown quicker than the base, but don't worry too much about this.  When you take it out of the oven, it may appear 'cakey' and quite sponge like, but it will set as it cools.

I used a silicon tart case, that allows me to remove it, once the tart is fully cooled.

4. Leave to cool for a good hour.
5. Next to make the filling. Tip the tin of coconut cream into a pan, and break up the chocolate, reserving a couple of squares for decorating at the end. Keep on a low heat and stir until the chocolate is melted. Add the vanilla extract/seeds.
6.  Beat together your two egg yolks.  Remove the chocolate custard from the heat and using a ladle, add 1 ladle-ful into your eggs (this is tempering the eggs, to prevent them from scrambling!), beat well and then return this mixture back to the pan and continue to stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until the custard has thickened.
7. Scatter your berries onto your tart base and then pour over the custard. If you are lucky, you will have some to spare, so you can get stuck in to licking the spoon....and the pan....and the ladle....and anywhere you else you managed to spill it....
8.  Leave to cool.  I didn't put it in the fridge as I was wary of the base becoming soggy.

I chose quite big berries - consequently, quite a lumpy looking tart!!

9.  Whip the cream and carefully put on top - think banoffe pie!

10. Decorate with the chocolate you held back and DA - DA!! Chocolate tart!