I have an amazing friend. The kind of friend you wish for when you’re a kid; one who will go on adventures with you, share lunch with you, stay up late talking about nothing with you, beat off bullies for you, and share big crazy dreams…
Well, we didn’t exactly meet as kids, but it’s still the same. I count myself lucky to have one of those friends. And today it’s her birthday!
We met in our late teens, working side by side in a retail store – a job to tide us over until the next adventure. We hit it off on our first day of working together, connecting through various interests, ideas, but mainly; the same weird quirkiness that streaks through both of us.
In the *almost* decade that has passed since, we’ve both had ups and downs, laughters and tears, been married & had firstborn daughters, suffered losses and enjoyed new delights. We’ve had coffees that have stretched for hours, and eaten more than our body weight in chocolate. Now we live in different cities, but I know we’ll manage to keep in touch. There is so much that I hope and pray for in my dear friend’s future. Also so much that I’m thankful for and am inspired by. Whatever is around the corner, I’m glad to have such a friend to share the tales. And I’ll always, always be grateful for her striking up conversation that slow monday morning.
So for my chocolate loving friend… I wish I was there to celebrate you today! But I’ll be enjoying some of these in your honour! Hope your day goes off with a bang 🙂 HAPPY BIRTHDAY xx
Mini Chocolate Mousse Tarts (makes approx 16 mini tarts)
Tart Shell
1 cup ground almond
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut oil (or butter or ghee)
1 tbsp honey
1 egg
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 150’C/300’F.
Process all the ingredients together in a food processor until well combined and smooth.
Grease mini muffin tins with coconut oil or butter.
Press teaspoons full of mixture into each cavity and mould up the sides.
Bake in the oven for 5-10 mins – until the tarts are beginning to turn golden brown
Ganache
3 tbsp full-fat coconut milk
1 tsp honey – optional
pinch salt
40g/1.4oz Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or higher, Lindt 90% is great here for a rich flavour)
Heat the coconut milk and honey over a medium heat in a small pan until steaming. Remove from heat, add the salt and dark chocolate. Allow to sit for a couple minutes before whisking well to combine the ingredients to a gloriously smooth mixture. Â Set aside to cool slightly.
Mousse
1x quantity of Chocolate Coconut Milk Mousse (for consistently good results, I highly recommend using the Trade Aid variety)
When the shells are cooled and the ganache has cooled slightly (not so much that it’s hard) spoon a teaspoon full of ganache into the base of each tart shell.
Top with a teaspoon full of the Chocolate Coconut Milk Mousse then store in the fridge to set and until required for the devouring.
Note: I also sprinkled mine with a teaspoon of desiccated coconut – but that’s up to you 🙂
Enjoy!!
Hungry Cub 