Tuesday, March 18, 2014

(Almost) Raw Chocolate Orange Torte




Last week I finally was able to wrangle a friend into teaching me Darija (the Moroccan dialect of Arabic) on a weekly basis, and you know what? I forgot how much fun it is to learn a new language. We will put aside the fact that I'm learning it from a cute young Moroccan guy with adorable broken english and just focus on the fact that language is amazing. New sentence structures, grammar, vocabulary- man, I should have been a linguistics major. Granted, every time I try to pronounce the Kh I sound like a cat coughing on it's own fur and when I try to do that throaty R I sound like one of the Muppets, but you know, it's a process. Practice makes... well, better.

It may be difficult, but I love that I'm figuring out that I can make these sounds with my mouth that I didn't even think were possible. It's like biting into a new and delicious and totally foreign piece of fruit with each new word. 

In fact, Darija is almost as delicious as this Almost Raw Chocolate Orange Torte. 

(Did you see what I did there?)
             



But seriously. This tri-layered torte is smooth, creamy, and just raw enough to sort of trick your brain into thinking this is really more of a health food than dessert so let me just eat one more sliver. Make it two.


(Almost) Raw Chocolate Orange Torte

Crust
150g almonds (we toasted them for extra flavor, but that's definitely not raw, so it's totally optional)
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp tahini or other nut butter
1 tbsp sweetener (we used dark brown sugar but you could also use maple syrup or raw honey)

Filling
200g raw cashews, soaked for 2-3 hours or overnight
150g medjool dates, soaked for 1-2 hours
150g vegan dark chocolate
1 tbsp orange zest

Ganache
100g vegan dark chocolate
3 tbsp soy or almond milk

Begin with the crust: line an 8" or 9" round pan with a piece of parchment paper. Pulse almonds in a food processor until ground into a meal. Add coconut oil, tahini and sweetener and mix with your fingers until it starts to stick together. Press into the bottom of the pan and stick in the fridge while you make the rest of the layers.

To prepare the filling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and scoop it into your food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth & mousse-like. Spread the filling evenly on top of the crust and place in the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.

In the meantime, make the ganache by melting the chocolate and soymilk together in your double boiler. Whisk until smooth and set in the fridge to cool until the rest of the torte is set. Once it's all ready, flip the torte & crust out of the pan onto a plate and pour the ganache over the top. Slice, serve & smile.

11 comments:

  1. I would love to learn a new language. I took 2 years of Spanish in high school, but have lost all of my knowledge :( And what a beautiful torte!

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    1. Oh I know what you mean- I went to France and realized my high school French class had taught me nothing. I felt like I was starting from scratch! It's never too late though.
      And thank you!!

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  2. Absolutely beautiful! Both that you're endeavoring to learn such a unique language and have time to make such a torte, too! I've been learning Spanish since the 8th grade and am only 3 credits away from a minor in it. In my experience, no school will ever teach you the same amount as true cultural emersion, and what better way to get it than from a cute Moroccan boy ;) Good luck!

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    1. Thank you, Natasha!
      It's so true- emersion is the best way to learn. Have you been to Spain?

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    2. Not yet, I'm dreaming though! A month in Spain followed by a boat ride to Morocco. Wanderlust!

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  3. Hi Ruby! I just discovered your blog, and love it! I wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for the Liebster Award. I am really enjoying your blog, it is awesome! You can go to http://bourbonandbrownsugar.wordpress.com/ for the details.

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  4. Sorry, but I don't understand your amounts. is that ounces, or grams? I really want to make this. help?

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    1. Hello! It is in grams. If you need some help converting, this is my go-to resource: http://lifehacker.com/this-kitchen-cheat-sheet-has-weights-measures-cuts-of-1458393112
      Good luck and I really hope you enjoy it!

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  5. I know I'm late to the game but I've been saving this post on my Bloglovin' so I could comment to let you know how AMAZING this looks. I can't wait to try it!

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    1. Thank you, Katie!! Let me know when you do :)

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