RAW BLUEBERRY TARTLETS

After making the prettiest cake ever, I found myself overloaded with blueberries. This was because my plan B after miserably failing at acquiring edible flowers (Turnips @ Borough Market, I forgive but not forget. Or maybe not even forgive), which you could also call “running around M&S during my lunch break, desperately looking for a pretty-enough alternative to edible flowers to use on a cake I am meant to make in less than 3 hours”, was decorating with more blueberries and other berries. Luckily, boyfriends saved the day and a plan B was never needed, so I was quite ridiculously happy to have not only a successful cake but also a lifetime supply of tasty berries. Some of them had already been shovelled into my mouth and digested and everything, the rest feature in these delicious vegan, raw and gluten-free tartlets that, just so you know, have been partly shovelled into my mouth too and are in the process of being digested. Too much information? Omonomnomnom

RAW BLUEBERRY TARTLETS

with raw vanilla cream

75g (3/4 cup) pecans

120g (3/4 cup) dates, pitted

Filling:

60g (1/2 cup) cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours

80g (1/2 cup) dates, pitted

80g (1 cup) frozen blueberries

1 small banana

Vanilla cream:

30g (1/4 cup) cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours

60g (1/4 cup) rice syrup

seeds of ½ vanilla pod

Line 8 tartlet/mini brioche/muffin tins with cling film and set aside. First make the crust: blitz the pecans in a blender until roughly ground then add the dates and keep going until everything is well combined and sticks together in a dough. Roll out the dough on a flat surface and with a cookie cutter cut out 8 circles to place in each tartlet tin, or simply divide the dough in 8 equal parts and press it down into each tin. Place in the freezer whilst you make the filling.

Blitz the cashews into rough flour then add the dates, frozen blueberries and banana. Blend until everything is well combined and has a creamy consistency. Pour the filling into each tartlet and place back in the freezer for at least half an hour.

In the meantime make the vanilla cream: simply blend cashews, rice syrup and vanilla until smooth. Just before serving, pour the vanilla cream onto each tartlet and decorate with more blueberries if you like.