Happy Holidays Friends!

Last week I mentioned that I had entered my Sweet Potato Cake (I added new/updated photos to the post) and Chocolate-Hazelnut Buckwheat Tart in a local baking contest. The next day I was so happy and excited to find out that my cake won first place and my chocolate tart won 3rd place! So today I’m glad to finally share another wining recipe with you. This simple and impressive tart is raw, vegan, gluten free and deliciously addictive! It’s so good!

A friend introduced me to a version of this tart several weeks ago. I was having lunch at her house and for a light dessert she brought out small pieces of her chocolate tart. Delicious! I had never made or eaten a raw tart of this sort before so I was intrigued, and excited to try it myself. The crumbly crust is made from toasted buckwheat (kasha), ground nuts (hazelnuts and almonds), almond butter, and a hint of cocoa butter to help keep it all together. Eating it is really a heavenly experience. There’s a nice contrast between the quickly melting soft, dark chocolate and the crunchy crust and nut topping. You must try it! But I warn you though, the tart is addictive. You may find it a challenge to stop eating after just one slice! For inspiration, I’m nibbling on a piece right now as I sip my tea.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Buckwheat Tart
Inspired by Naturelise

Serves about 8-16

40 grams/(about 1.45 ounces) praline*
70 grams/2.45 ounces (about 1/3 cup) buckwheat, toasted (kasha)
50 grams/1.75 ounces (about 1/2 cup) hazelnuts, ground
2 tablespoons nut butter (I used almond butter)
30 grams (about 1 ounce) food grade cocoa butter
125 grams 60%-70% dark chocolate
125 grams raw coconut butter
about 3 ounces toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped, for garnish (optional)

*Praline
90 grams (about 1/3 cup) agave
50 grams (about 1/3 cup) raw almonds, whole
50 grams (about 1/3 cups) raw hazelnuts, whole

To make the praline: In a skillet over medium heat, combine agave and nuts. Heat until the nuts are well coated and the agave is frothy, about five minutes. Remove from heat and spread mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper. Allow to cool and harden completely.

When cool, pulse mixture a few times in a food processor until ground. Be careful not to pulse so long that it becomes a paste. This praline recipe will yield more than you need for the tart. You can store the excess in an air container, the the refrigerator.

In a bowl, combine praline, ground hazelnuts, buckwheat, and almond butter. Set aside. Slowly melt cocoa butter. Pour into bowl with buckwheat mixture. Stir until combined.

Transfer buckwheat mixture into an 8″ tart mold with a removable bottom. Using your hands and fingers, press the mixture evenly into the tart pan. Tip: Lightly oil your hands with a little coconut oil before handling the mixture as it will help the crumbly mixture not stick as much to your hands. Refrigerate at least an hour for crust to take shape/structure.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the dark chocolate and coconut butter. Stir until melted and combined.

Pour melted chocolate over refrigerated and firm crust. Refrigerate for 1.5 to 2 hours. If using chopped hazelnuts for topping, remove tart from refrigerator about 20-30 minutes (chocolate should be soft enough for the hazelnuts to sink in slightly. The chocolate should be a little more firm, but not yet solid) after you put it in, scatter nuts and continue to refrigerate until chocolate is solid/completely firm.

Notes: The hazelnut topping is optional. I’ve made this tart with and without it. To make the crust you have the choice of grinding your nuts and buckwheat finely, or you can chop the nuts in small chunks and use whole buckwheat kernels. I’ve made the crust both ways, it’s really a matter of preference.

I think the tart is best when the chocolate is a bit soft so I’d recommend removing it from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before you plan to serve it. It melts relatively quickly so it’s not something you should leave out for hours (or even an hour) before you plan to eat it.

This tart can be made in molds of different shapes and sizes. I chose an 8″ tart pan with a removable bottom as it is easy to remove the tart from such a pan. If you don’t have a tart pan with a removable bottom, use a hot, wet cloth on your mold to remove your tart from the pan with greater ease.

Finally, the tart slices in the photos here are cut quite large. I did this just for the sake of the blog photos. To serve, I actually cut them in slivers of 1/2 or 1/3 of each slice in the photos.

P.S. Recently, I also tried a raw pumpkin tart. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you as soon as possible!