[RECIPE] Flourless chocolate tart (no bake and healthy)

A vegan gluten-free dessert that's unbelievably delicious, rich, creamy and very versatile. And quite healthy as well, with no added sugar or oil. Oh, and no, it doesn't taste like pumpkin.

The internet is awash with "simplest", "easiest", "5-minute" style recipes. But are they worth it? Mmmm not always in our opinion...

But this one boy oh boy... It's luscious. Steamed pumpkin is what holds it together, plus you can customise it depending on what nut butter you have in your pantry (or, even better, make your own nut butter from scratch). We used fresh hazelnut butter for a Nutella like vibe.

Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or cinnamon to the mix for a Mexican hot chocolate twist, top it with cacao powder, nibs, crushed nuts, or flaky sea salt, slice it straight from the fridge with a hot knife, and enjoy. You don't even need to tell your friends that it is made with pumpkin since it doesn't taste like it.

prep 30 min
chill 2 hours
feeds 8-10 people


400g pumpkin, seeds and skin removed, cut into chunks
200g chocolate, we used Callebaut n°811
100g natural nut butter of your choice
1 pinch salt
cacao powder, to dust the top

1. Steam the pumpkin until very soft.
2. While the pumpkin is steaming, pour the chocolate, nut butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
3. When the pumpkin is ready and still hot, place in the food processor on top of the other ingredients and process at high speed until the mixture is very smooth, at least 2-3 minutes depending on your machine. The residual heat from the pumpkin will melt the chocolate.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
5. Pour into a lined cake tin (springform is better), smooth the top, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
6. Remove from the tin and dust with cacao powder.
7. Slice with a hot knife and serve. You might have to wipe the knife clean after each cut.

NOTES

• If your pumpkin is not hot enough, melt the chocolate on a double boiler before adding it to the food processor.
• If you want to top the cake with crushed nuts or cacao nibs, do so before you place it in the fridge.
• Variations: add cayenne pepper, cinnamon, or cardamom to the mix in any combination.
• Use any nut butter you may have on hand. If making your own, blend the nuts in the food processor while the pumpkin is steaming, then proceed as per recipe.
• Use whatever size cake tin you have: since the cake doesn't get baked the texture will be perfect all over. You will just end up with a ticker or thinner torte. We used a 15cm tin here.