I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.
I made this dessert last night and it is almost gone—literally.
Technically it started as a chocolate tart, but I don’t own a tart pan and I’m not about to buy one. My kitchen storage is limited and my shoes deserve the closet space.
So I turned the tart into bars. They’re easier to eat in small bites, though that’s clearly just an excuse for finishing the whole pan. Smaller bites don’t count, right?
I can’t decide which I love more—the crust or the chocolate filling.
The filling is a silky chocolate ganache so irresistible you’ll want to eat it straight from the saucepan. Burned tongue or not, it’s worth it.
You simply stir good-quality chocolate into warmed cream until it becomes glossy and smooth:
Until it melts together and looks like this:
Then you pour the ganache over the coconut crust in a baking dish or pan:
After chilling, the bars set into a dense, fudgy slice that’s utterly satisfying:
The crust is actually a raw, vegan-style coconut base. I did “de-veganize” it with milk chocolate and heavy cream for the filling—no deception intended. Still, the coconut crust is fantastic on its own.
The chocolate layer is rich and fudgy. I could comfortably eat an entire bowl of it if no one was watching.
I considered making the fully raw version using young coconut meat, but cracking open fresh coconuts sounds like a whole production I wasn’t up for. If someone wants to do that labor for me, I’ll happily test the results.
Coconut Crust
(adapted from a dark chocolate tart base)
2 cups shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond meal
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and blend until evenly combined. Press the coconut mixture into a baking dish or pan and refrigerate for 1–2 hours to set.
Chocolate Filling
(adapted from a no-bake chocolate tart)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk (2% works fine)
6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Warm the heavy cream and milk in a saucepan over low heat. When the mixture begins to simmer around the edges, remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolates until fully melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar and vanilla, then pour the ganache over the prepared coconut crust. Refrigerate (or freeze briefly) for about 2 hours, until firm.
I’m currently in a chocolate-coconut coma, and I probably need a shower. But these bars were absolutely worth it.