Cocoa Pear Tart with Lavender Coconut Cream

I had a big breakthrough last week on the tail end of my cleanse. One of the things I wanted to work on was laziness/stagnation in my life. Laziness has been taking many forms lately and slowly choking out my normal productive tendencies. It caused me to stray from focusing on what I really wanted in life as well as building my career. I got lazy. And complacent. I stopped dreaming and planning. It was easy. But it wasn't exactly enjoyable.

I had an intense moment of clarity last Thursday morning. I became very aware of how I had been lazy when it came to what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be. And I immediately wanted to get back to my old self. The one who started her own company solo while simultaneously working another full time job. I realized I would much rather be in the midst of working really hard and planning for the unknown instead of wallowing in laziness and ease. So, I'm back on the saddle so to speak.

I pictured this tart in my head a couple of weeks ago. I think I was driving home from a yoga class and it just popped into my mind. I wrote down the idea as soon as I got home so I wouldn't forget. Since I was able to get some lovely local pears at the farmers market this past weekend, it earned the top spot for post-cleanse baking. And then I almost didn't make it because I knew how involved each step would be along with the photography. Then I almost kicked myself for thinking that way and let go of those thoughts since they weren't serving me in any way. I'm re-adapting and re-learning. I'm creating a new groove.

I love the combination of flavors in this tart. They all play nicely together without one completely dominating the others. If you want a quick and dirty version of this recipe, forgo the crust. Mix up the pear topping and let it sit to macerate for a bit. Spoon some into a bowl and top with the lavender coconut cream and some shavings of dark chocolate. It's quite lovely and doesn't require you to turn on the oven :)

Cocoa Pear Tart with Lavender Coconut Cream

tart crust
50g teff flour
50g arrowroot flour
45g millet flour
15g (2 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder
pinch of sea salt
3 tbsp coconut sugar
40g melted coconut oil
60-65g room temp water

pear topping
3-4 small pears, sliced about 1/8" thick
zest of 1/2 an orange
1 tsp fresh orange juice
1 tsp grade B maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla paste (or alternately vanilla extract)
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

lavender coconut cream

1 cup cold coconut cream (or, 1 can of coconut milk that has been refrigerated at least 6 hours)

2 tbsp maple syrup

small pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract

large pinch of dried lavender, crushed/powdered OR 2-3 drops culinary safe lavender essential oil

Add all of the dry ingredients for the tart crust to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix well. Add the coconut oil and mix until the dough looks crumbly. With the mixer running on low, slowly start drizzling in the water a little at a time. Once the dough forms a ball, stop the mixer. Form the dough into a ball with your hands, flatten it a bit, then wrap it in cello wrap and allow it to rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

For the pear topping, combine everything in a bowl and toss gently to combine. Set aside until you are ready to assemble the tart.

To assemble the tart: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment the size of the baking sheet you are using. Lightly dust the parchment with a bit of teff flour, then place the tart dough in the center of the parchment. Gently roll out the dough on the parchment paper into a circular shape that is approximately 8 or 9 inches in diameter. It doesn't have to be perfect as long as it stays on the piece of parchment paper. Gently and swiftly transfer the sheet of parchment paper with your tart dough all in one movement onto the baking sheet. Arrange the pear slices on the tart dough in an even layer leaving a 1/2 to 1 inch border around the edges. Drizzle the pear slices with any remaining juices that accumulated in the bowl. Bake the tart for 20 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the baking time. Let the tart cool and come to room temperature before serving. Serve topped with a generous dollop of lavender coconut cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings depending on the size of the slices.

To make the lavender coconut cream, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, then using the whisk attachment, whip the mixture on high until it has grown in volume and is forming soft peaks. Use immediately or keep chilled in the fridge. It was lose its structure as it warms up.