The food processor whirs, pistachios and dates crackling together in the bowl and then spinning up into a soft, rolling mound of dough. I turn the machine off, pinch off a bite to taste. A bit of salt, another date. In they go, the machine whizzing back to life. Outside my cherry tree drops singular petals from the quickly declining blossoms. I can see my garden plot from the window, half planted with kale and spinach starts and half sown with seed directly into the soil. A garden snake rolls his belly against the dirt.

Back in the day when I used to work in a raw food kitchen I would spend hours crafting tiny tarts and cookies out of nuts, dates, coconut oil, and vibey ingredients like cacao nibs and chia. Mostly in a little room with no windows where I essentially had to stare at a wall of spices and condiments while doing my work. When I wasn't rolling dates and cocoa and coconut into balls, I was making veg sandwiches and picking sprouts out of my braid. Or just trying to find a moment of peace free from submerging my arms in dirty sink water. Fun times.

Thankfully I've moved on from minimum wage, dead-end jobs. And hopefully I won't be in that situation again. But I can say that I got something positive out of it, in that it introduced me to the how-to behind raw dessert recipes. It's all about balancing binders and sugars with fatty, whole food ingredients. That's how you get treats that taste decadent while supporting a sexy, healthy bod.

Yes. I said bod.

This tart is a masterpiece of flavor and function. It tastes like strawberries & cream topped with milk & dark chocolate. And it supports a high functioning brain and beautiful skin/hair/internal organs. Hey, you're internal organs can be beautiful too! Ask any doctor and he'll tell you the same. I think.

Here's a little tip, if you're going to do a chocolate drizzle on top do it over parchment paper. That way you can stick the excess chocolate in the freezer to firm it back up; either use it as is as a topping for ice cream or collect the leftover chocolate and remelt it for other uses.

Raw Strawberry Goddess Tarts w/ Superfood Chocolate Creme (Vegan, Gluten Free)

 Prep time: 30 mins | Total time: 30 mins | Serves: 5-6 servings

Easy. Impressive. Delicious. Here's a little tip, for ye who don't have mini tart pans. Wide mouth mason jar tops work just the same! They're especially excellent because you can (gently) press the tarts out of the lids by pushing the tarts up and out from the bottom, using the lids circular base to guide the tart out of the pan. Then carefully remove the circular base with a knife and slide it away.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1/8 cup pistachio hearts
• 1 tablespoon chia
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 medjool dates, pitted
• pinch sea salt

Strawberry Filling

• 1 cup soaked cashews
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 5 - 6 large medjool dates, pitted

Chocolate Creme

• 1/2 large avocado
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Chocolate Drizzle

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• OR 1 ounce 70% or higher dark chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Crust

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S blade, combine the almond meal, pistachio hearts, chia, coconut oil, dates, and sea salt.
2. Blend until everything comes together in a pliable dough. Remove the dough from the food processor and place on a parchment paper lined work surface (not necessary, I just think it makes clean up easier).
3. Separate the dough into 4 even rounds (if you're using 4 small tart pans / mason jar lids), two quarters and one half (if you're using two small tart pans and one 4"-5" pan) or one round (for a 9" tart pan).
4. Press the dough into the tart pan(s) evenly, pressing the dough up the sides of your pan(s).
5. Set aside.

Strawberry Filling

1. In a food processor or high powered blender, combine the cashews, strawberries, almond milk, and dates until smooth and creamy.
2. Spoon the strawberry filling into the tart pan(s), spreading the top out with a spoon to create an even top.

Chocolate Creme

1. In a small bowl, mash together the avocado, cacao powder, and maple syrup (you can use a blender here but I find it sort of difficult to blend, due to the small quantity of ingredients). Mash until even and creamy.
2. Add a dollop of the Superfood Chocolate Creme to the tops of the tart(s).
3. To create a swirl, use a small spoon to drag the chocolate creme in swirl working from the inside outwards. Clean the spoon after every drag.

Chocolate Drizzle

1. In a double boiler or a medium metal bowl set over a shallow water bath, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together.
2. Once it has melted, arrange the tarts on parchment paper, then quickly draw drizzles of chocolate over the tarts a shallow spoonful at a time.
3. Stick the tarts in the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours before serving, up to overnight (covered). If frozen hard, let thaw 5 minutes before serving.