Rustic Toasted Coconut & Apricot Tart

HELLO Healing Root Fam!

As usual, I hope you are doing well & finding nourishment & healing moments in your day & week. As mentioned in my recipe post about two recipes ago: I am doing a series of DIVINE RECIPE COLLABORATIONS WITH SOME OF MY FAVOURITE PLANT-LOVING FRIENDS & FOODIES around the globe, starting at home with some fellow South African creators!

This week, I am collaborating with one of my oldest friends from school who runs an amazing plant based Instagram and Blog Page called Health Alignment. Here is the link to her social media space https://www.health-alignment.com/. Michaela also runs one of the top South African plant based APPS - where you can find a host of information, recipes, recommendations of places to eat & support in South Africa, so if you haven’t already: head on over to her page & give her some LOVE!

Michaela is based between the Eastern Cape & Bali, Indonesia. At the moment, during lock down she is back in South Africa and when I approached her to do a recipe collaboration she was, to my joy & elation, totally ALL FOR IT. Michaela has gone above and beyond in creating this DELICIOUS, HEALING and BEAUTIFUL sweet tart recipe for you all this week. I myself cannot wait to try this recipe this coming weekend!

And now, for Michaela’s post:

“I am so excited to share this recipe with you all - I am so thrilled to have collaborated with one of my all-time close sisters Maria Praeg, who runs the @thehealingroot_ .

We have been in each other's lives since grade 8 and I have always seen her as my soul sister since we became so close during our time at school.

The past couple of weeks have taken strain on many people’s lives. COVID-19 has taken the world on and now with the awareness of peace and equality rising I have found that educating ourselves has been more important than ever. Maria has written a beautiful in-depth piece explaining a bit more about the importance of self-care during this time, how to do it and why it is important along with valuable information about WHY and how we can start to adjust our daily routines & rhythms to be in alignment with the current seasonal shifts to ensure optimal health. This in-depth piece is in her Chickpea Pasta Bowl Post and I highly recommend giving it a read!

Now for the recipe.

I loved creating this recipe. It really was just one where I went into the kitchen, had a look at what was around, and just started playing! I wanted to use fresh apricots but honestly with lockdown these days I don't have too much fresh fruit in the house, and it is also not apricot season at present! I found some apricot jam in my pantry and realised that apricot jam is in fact, usually a staple in many homes so I thought I would give it a go and was so blown away by the full and embodied apricot flavour that comes through in the tart.

You will need:

Cake tin/Tart tin
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Pot
Time 1 1/2 Hours

Ingredients

The base:

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon apricot jam

Filling:

2 1/2 cups of soya milk or any other plant-based milk
3-4 tablespoons apricot jam
Dash of vanilla extract
4 heaped tablespoons of cornflour

For the glaze:

2 tablespoons apricot jam

Toppings:

1/3 cup of toasted coconut
Fresh lemon slices
A few slithers from naartjie or for those of you who aren’t South African, a clementine or orange will do!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180°C and spray your tart or cake tin.
In a mixing bowl add in the flour, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
Melt the coconut oil and add it along with the 1 tablespoon of apricot jam into the flour mixture and combine until you have a dough.
Transfer to your tin and press down evenly and also around the edges. It’s okay and BEAUTIFUL if the edges look a little rustic! This is where you can channel your inner Jamie Oliver!
Place in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes.
Once your crust has baked, remove from oven and allow to cool while you start with your filling.
In a pot place in the 2 cups of soya milk and the apricot jam. Heat this mixture up on the stove and bring to boil until that jam has dissolved.
Mix the cornflour in with the remaining 1/2 a cup of soya milk.
Add the vanilla to the heated soya milk and apricot jam mix.
Add the cornflour mix to the boiling milk mixture and stir until it becomes thick and creamy.
Pour the mixture straight into your baked crust.
Melt your remaining apricot jam for the glaze on the stove or microwave for a minute or two and then pout onto your tart.
Allow it to cool slightly before transferring into the freezer to set for 1 hour or in the fridge to set for about 2 hours or overnight if you like 🌱
Top with the coconut and fruit slices before serving. To toast the coconut all you need to do is pop your desiccated or flaked coconut in a dry pan on medium heat and toast for a minute or two. Sprinkle onto your tart and decorate it to your heart's content.
Enjoy with your favourite drink.”