No-Bake Chocolate Truffle Tarts

Oof. Valentines Day is coming up and while it may not be a big deal in Tanger, the blogging world is filling up with red and pink and heart-shaped this and that. So I've decided now is a good time to confess my deep, deep love

for solo travel.

Here's the deal. I'm pretty young. And as much as some of these women here in Tangier would love to marry me off to a nice Moroccan man asap, I'm really in no rush to fall for any one person. The way I see it, you don't go searching for those kind of things. They usually catch you off guard. 

But traveling alone, going somewhere completely new by yourself, gives you the wonderful ability to fall in love with everything around you. Unhindered by the judgement or wishes of someone else by your side, you can absorb every delicious detail in it's entirety. 

Being a single young woman is an empowering thing. You learn to enjoy your own company. I have learned to love that intense happy-butterfly feeling I get in my stomach every time a plane leaves the ground. I've learned to love getting lost in twisting winding streets and somehow finding myself in front of a darling ivy-covered cafe. I love the taste of new foods and the melodic sounds of different languages. Travel, you are my valentine.

But not my one and only. Because chocolate exists too.

Now let me explain the story behind the food.

Obviously it is very important to have friends to taste-test your treats for you. For the sake of quality control and for the sake of otherwise-I'll-eat-it-all-by-myself-in-one-sitting. So my friends Ayoub and Adil were happy to try these lovely chocolate-truffle-filled tarts for me. I asked them to share their thoughts and Ayoub says

"Well it's nice because you have three layers. The strawberry, the chocolate, and the coucou."

"I'm sorry Ayoub, the what?"

"Coucou!"

"...You mean coconut?"

"Oh."

Hence the birth of Chocolate Coucou. Thank you, Ayoub.

Seriously though, these tarts are coucou. They come together so quickly and when the filling hardens a bit, it's like a super creamy chocolate truffle, accented by the nuttiness of almonds and the sweetness of strawberries. You will fall in love, too.

No-Bake Chocolate Truffle Tarts (aka Chocolate Coucou)
opt. vegan, gf, no-bake, almost raw

makes 3-4 personal tarts

190g almonds 
40g rolled oats
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup for vegan version

80g vegan dark chocolate
120g raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 kilo strawberries

In a food processor, blend together the almonds and oats until it resembles a crumbly meal. Melt together the coconut oil and honey and add to the processor, pulsing until the meal sticks together when you pinch it between your fingers. Press the mixture into little ramekin dishes (it should be enough for 3-4 depending on the size of the dish) and set aside.

Melt the chocolate completely in a double boiler. Or in whatever you have on hand that resembles a double boiler:

Wash out your food processor (or use your second one if you're fancy) and combine the cashews, water and brown sugar until as creamy as possible. Add melted chocolate and blend until smooth. Spoon the mousse into the tart shells and put in the fridge for at least an hour to set. Top with sliced strawberries and serve.

xo