Courtesy of Bartlett House
When you’re in the mood for a sweet treat with a healthy twist, this vegan black currant and almond tart is here to please.
We don’t know about you, but our hands-down favorite part of Thanksgiving is dessert. To help you up your pie game, we spoke to Michael Poiarkoff, the executive chef at Bartlett House in Ghent. The popular café takes its holiday baking seriously. We coaxed him into sharing his favorite recipes and learned his secrets to pastry success.
Vegan Black Currant & Almond Tart
Recipe by Michael Poiarkoff
Yields 8–10 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup whole, raw almonds
1 cup whole, raw walnuts
1 cup oats
¼ cup dates
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp coconut oil
14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
1½ cup black currant purée (fresh or frozen; you can use the brand Perfect Purée (perfectpuree.com), or any berry purée)
4 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1½ tsp salt
Granola or dried orange slices, for toppings
Crust
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- In a food processor, combine almonds, walnuts, and oats. Blend to a coarse flour. Add dates and maple syrup, and let process (stop to scrape the sides occasionally) until it’s a sticky dough, about 2–5 minutes. Add coconut oil and let mix until just combined.
- Press crust into a 10-inch tart pan and poke repeatedly with a fork. Place parchment paper over pie crust and add dried beans to fill the top, or about 2 pounds. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Set aside and let cool.
Filling
- Whisk together coconut milk, lemon juice, sugar, black currant purée, cornstarch, almond milk, and salt. Pour into a medium-sized pot and whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 5–7 minutes.
- Simmer and stir for 2 minutes (color will turn dark purple). Pour mixture into prepared crust.
- Chill until set, we suggest overnight. Top with your choice of granola or dried orange slices.
