Cherie Hausler’s Raspberry & Vanilla Crème Tart Recipe

There’s something deeply satisfying about serving a show-stopping tart as part of your high tea spread. The Raspberry & Vanilla Crème Tart with Rose Spiced Crust from Cherie Hausler’s cookbook A Plant-Based Farmhouse is a celebration of just that.

This is one of those recipes that looks impressive but is remarkably achievable, even for those new to plant-based baking. The tart is set in a fluted tin with a no-bake crust and a silky-smooth cashew cream filling. Finished with pistachios, rose petals and a scattering of berries, it’s a stunning centrepiece that captures the joy of thoughtful preparation and the beauty of shared moments, all from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Images and text from A Plant-Based Farmhouse by Cherie Hausler, photography by Lean Timms. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.

Ingredients:

Rose spiced crust

• 315 g (11 oz) raw almonds, with skin on
• 5 g (1 teaspoon) Homemade Mixed Spice
• 4 g (6 teaspoons) dried rose petals
• 1 g (¼ teaspoon) salt
• 50 g (1 ¾ oz) maple syrup
• 12 g (½ oz) extra virgin coconut oil

Vanilla crème filling

• 450 g (1 lb) raw cashews
• 200 g (7 oz) coconut nectar syrup
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) water
• 85 ml (2 ¾ fl oz) lemon juice
• 20 g (¾ oz) vanilla bean paste
• 3 g (½ teaspoon) salt
• 100 g (3 ½ oz) extra virgin coconut oil

Topping

• 100 – 150g (3 ½ – 5 ½ oz) fresh raspberries
• 75g (2 ½ oz) raw pistachios, roughly chopped
• Dried rose petals

Method:

1. Cut a circle of baking paper to fit exactly in the base of a 28 cm (11 ¼ in) fluted, non-stick tart (flan) tin with a removable base. I trace around the tart base with a pencil onto a sheet of baking paper, then cut the circle out with scissors. Line the base of the tin with the baking paper, so you can slide the tart onto a serving plate more easily when you’re ready to eat it.
2. To make the crust, place the almonds, mixed spice, petals and salt in a food processor and blitz until the mixture resembles almond meal. You still want some texture, not almond butter!
3. Add the maple syrup and coconut oil and blitz again. You want to make sure the crust is evenly mixed, but not overly processed, or it won’t come out of the tin later on. To test whether it has the right consistency, squeeze some of the mixture between your thumb and forefinger — if it just holds together, it’s ready. If the mixture falls apart after squeezing it, give it another quick blitz and test it again.
4. Place the crust mixture in the tart tin and, using the flats of your hands, gently even the mixture out with the top of the tart tin. It won’t be compressed at this stage; this step just makes it easier to get an even thickness in the crust once you start pressing it into the tin. Using your thumb and forefinger, work your way around the side of the tart tin, pulling the mixture towards the side with your forefinger and compressing it by having your thumb exactly opposite your forefinger, but on the outside of the tart tin. Your thumb will help keep the crust in alignment with the edge of the tart tin as well — almost as though you’d already trimmed the edges if you were making a pastry base.

   

5. You should end up with a compressed crust up the side of the tin, about 5–8 mm (¼ – 3/8 in) thick. Be firm in pushing the crust into the flutes of the tin, so the sides of your tart don’t collapse when you remove it from the tin.
6. Once the sides have been compressed, spread the remaining crust mixture evenly across the base, using the flat part of your fingertips to press the bottom of the crust evenly across the base. Make sure you compress the crust into the ‘corner edge’ of the tart tin, all the way around the base.
7. Place the tart tin, complete with compressed crust, in the freezer while you make the filling. To make the filling, place the cashews, coconut syrup, water, lemon juice, vanilla paste and salt in a high-speed blender. (Leave the coconut oil out at this stage, otherwise it will split with the heat of the motor.) Blitz until very smooth; this will take 4–6 minutes, depending on your blender. I have an agitator with my Vitamix and use it to constantly push the cashew mixture down the sides of the blender. You might need to stop your machine a few times to do this with a spatula if you don’t have a purpose-made agitator.
8. Once the mixture is very smooth, with a consistency of tahini, add the coconut oil and give a final blitz to emulsify it into the filling mixture. Don’t over-mix at this stage — it should only take 30 seconds to 1 minute to completely dissolve the coconut oil into the filling.
9. Remove the tart tin from the freezer. Pour in the filling, smoothing it out with a spatula, making sure there’s no trapped air bubbles. Decorate with the raspberries, pistachios and dried rose petals.
10. Refrigerate or freeze. If you freeze the tart for a few hours, then thaw it just enough to be able to cut it into slices, it will give a cleaner edge to the slices.
11. Any leftover tart can be sealed in plastic wrap and stashed in the freezer for at least a month. It will only take 15–20 minutes to thaw, depending on the ambient temperature in your kitchen.

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