Vegan prune and ginger tarts
These sticky vegan tartlets are quick and easy to prepare - just whizz everything up in your food processor.
Equipment and preparation: For this recipe you will need 4 mini tart tins, 10cm/4in in diameter and a food processor.
Each tart provides 553 kcal, 10g protein, 30g carbohydrate (of which 29g sugars), 41g fat (of which 18g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.1g salt.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 25g/1oz coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 160g/5¾ oz ground almonds
- pinch sea salt
- pinch bicarbonate of soda
- 1½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
- 250g/9oz soft prunes
- 5 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 tbsp freshly pressed ginger juice (available online, or see tip)
- 2 tsp finely grated root ginger
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 pinches salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Lightly grease 4 mini tart tins, 10cm/4in in diameter, with a little coconut oil.
For the pastry, pulse all of the pastry ingredients in a food processor until the mixture just comes together as a dough. Turn out onto a clean work surface and press into a smooth ball, using your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces, then roll each into a ball. Flatten each ball between the palms of your hands, then place into the prepared tart tins. Use your fingers to spread and smooth the pastry thinly and evenly across the base and sides of each tin. Don't worry about breaking the pastry-just patch up any holes and aim for the thinnest finish possible.Trim away any excess pastry using a sharp knife. Prick the base of each pastry case several times with a fork. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are pale golden-brown. Remove and set aside to cool and crisp up. Gently turn out the pastry cases onto a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.
Meanwhile, for the filling, blend all of the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Add more ginger and salt, to taste.
Spread the filling mixture into the cooled tart cases, smoothing each into an even layer. Chill in the fridge until needed, or serve at room temperature.
Recipe Tips
Tip 1: To make ginger juice, suspend a fine sieve over a large bowl, then grate peeled root ginger into the sieve. Press the ginger with the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out as much juice as possible.
Tip 2: You can use a 20cm/8in loose-bottomed tart tin for this recipe. The pastry only needs to come 1cm/½in up the sides of the tin. Leave the pastry to cool inside the tin instead of turning it out onto a wire rack.