These tarts are a small, simple, yet very decadent treat that combines a lot of wonderful flavors together. They have a delicious pastry crust, the goodness of salted chocolate, the citrus goodness of oranges, the warmth and spice of cinnamon, and the deep flavor of basil, The flavors really come together so well. Plus they look so pretty and rustic.
Number of servings: 6, 350 calories per serving.
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp unsweetened applesauce (I used my homemade applesauce), at room temperature
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice), at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- 3 tbsp tapioca flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Chocolate Ingredients: {*see notes above recipe for an alternative}
- ¼ cup coconut oil, liquified
- 2 tbsp cacao powder {or use carob powder for AIP}
- 1½ tbsp maple syrup {or agave, honey, honee, etc.} — at room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract {use alcohol-free for AIP or omit}
- 1 tsp tapioca starch
- ¼ tsp large salt flakes {or just a big dash of salt of your choice}
Top layer:
- 1-2 small blood oranges, sliced into ¼” thick rings
- 1 tbsp maple syrup {or liquid sweetener of your choice}
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp melted coconut oil {or any cooking oil}
- 5 fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. Oil a 6-cup non-stick muffin tray and set aside.
- Place applesauce, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt into a medium mixing bowl and use an immersion blender to blend the mixture into a smooth consistency {or blend all the ingredients in a regular blender and then pour into a mixing bowl}. Add coconut, tapioca, and cinnamon and mix well using a wooden spoon until everything is thoroughly combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 6 cups in your muffin tray. Use your hands to press the mixture down along the bottom and up around the walls of the pan cups forming the crust. Set aside.
- Prepare chocolate mixture by stirring all ingredients together — keep stirring until the mixture becomes completely uniform and all clumps are dissolved. Pour this mixture into each tart shell, dividing equally.
- Top each tart with an orange slice. Stir the maple syrup, cinnamon, and olive oil together in a small bowl. Brush this mixture over each orange slice.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes until the tart shells firm up and the edges brown up a little. Remove from oven and allow the tarts to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, VERY carefully remove tarts from the pan and transfer onto a serving plate or glass container {they are a little delicate at this stage, so take extra care not to break the shells}. Prior to serving, top each tart with a basil leaf and enjoy! Store leftover tarts in the fridge.
