Chocolate berry tarts

Makes 8 small tarts (in a muffin tray) or one large

INGREDIENTS:

125g brown rice flour

125g oat flour

60g coconut oil, melted

100g maple syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract

200g pitted medjool dates

200ml unsweetened almond milk

½ tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp cacao powder

Fresh berries to decorate

Optional extras to decorate: cacao nibs & dessicated coconut

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 180oc and grease 8 muffin tray holes (or a large tart dish)
• In a bowl combine the rice flour, oat flour and xanthum gum
• Add the maple syrup, vanilla and coconut oil then mix together until a dough forms
• Sprinkle a clean, dry surface and rolling pin with rice flour
• If making smaller tarts, separate the dough into smaller bits, roll out until about 3mm thick
• Carefully place in the tray or tart dish and cut off any overhanging pastry (don’t worry if a few holes appear, you can fill them in with leftover pastry)
• Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes until the pastry has started to harden, this works best with baking beans but they aren’t essential
• Leave to cool
• To make the filling, add the dates, vanilla, cacao powder and almond milk to a food processor and process until smoothie
• Place spoonfuls of the mixture in each tart case and top with fresh berries
• Best stored in the fridge

I haven’t had fruit tarts or attempted pastry since before I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease so I decided to have a go and these chocolate berry tarts do not disappoint! I am a serious chocoholic so chose to do a chocolatey twist on traditional fruit tarts by filling them with a chocolate date cream. They are not completely low fodmap as not everyone can tolerate dried fruit or dates, luckily I can but I am working on an alternative filling for those who cannot!