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Raw-ish Fig Ginger Cashew Cream Tart with Salted Maple Caramel Sauce

Renee Shuman

This post was created in partnership with Pacific Foods. All opinions are my own.

This is it. The maple-sweetened, cashew-creamy, ginger-spiked, cardamom-infused tart of my dreams. Topped with sticky-sweet fresh figs, a buttery salted maple caramel and rose petals. I mean, does it get any better?! It's decadent, simple and entirely plant-based. And it's almost too pretty to eat (despite minimal fuss). It's a win win win win!

I came up with this tart concept back in September after treating myself to a luscious, crispy, custard-filled, butter-laden fig tart from my favorite local French bakery as a birthday treat. One of my big things is that on my birthday I tell my food rules to take a hike. Well, except the rules about choosing organic, sustainable and pescatarian-ish. It's all part of my master plan to be as extraordinarily happy and sane as possible. So naturally I paired that tart with cheese pizza and a citrusy IPA. The reality check was that I didn't feel great the next day. But it was worth it.

I decided I wanted to come up with a less-evil version of that tart that I could feel really good about eating -- without the inevitable junk food hangover the next day. And yo my love affair with figs runs deep so I also wanted to find a way to show off my favorite fruit in some unashamedly Ottolenghi-inspired circle-cuts. Lots of deliberation and few rounds of testing later and... voila! This Raw-ish Fig Ginger Cashew Cream Tart with Salted Maple Caramel Sauce was born.

It's the perfect dessert to give a Thanksgiving table some much-needed freshness; or, even better, it could give your next date-night spread some serious wow factor.

Anyway, if you're looking to spoil yourself or someone special in your life with a sweet, actually-pretty-healthy (although you'd never know it) treat... this recipe is for you!

For the spices, I decided to go on the more Scandinavian side. Lots of cardamom and ginger, a hint of vanilla. Maple is a pretty strong flavor theme in this dessert, which I think gives this tart a much needed cozy autumnal vibe. The rose petals on top are just that little something extra that rounds the flavors out. I love adding rose petals to just about everything, but they really serve this tart well with their sweet feminine perfume.

One of the best things about this tart is that it's so simple to throw together. You blend the 5 ingredient crust in a food processor and press it into your tart pan. Then blend your 8 ingredient cashew cream base in a blender and pour it over the crust. Freeze. And top with figs and rose petals. If you choose to make the maple caramel sauce, you can make it while the tart chills in the freezer.

This is all to say, the recipe looks kind of long but in reality it's pretty easy. No whipping, folding, proofing, tempering, baking or gel-ifying required.

The cashew cream base and the maple caramel are both made with Pacific Foods new Cashew Unsweetened Original Non-Dairy Beverage. Their cashew milks are made with Fair Trade Certified cashews and sustainable farming practices (woo!). The unsweetened variety is perfect for all sorts of creamy applications, from tarts and caramel sauces to soups and casseroles.

Raw-ish Fig Ginger Cashew Cream Tart with Maple Caramel Sauce

Created by Renee on October 30, 2017

Note: you can sub out any fruit you like with this tart, although softer fruits likes bartlett pears, berries and juicy stone fruits are my personal favorite.

  • Prep Time: 1h 10m
  • Cook Time: 5m
  • Total Time: 1h 15m
  • Yield: 8-12 slices

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 8 medjool dates
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • pinch sea salt

Cashew Cream Base

  • 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
  • 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup Pacific Foods Cashew Unsweetened Original Non-Dairy Beverage
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • juice 1/2 lemon
  • 2 -3 inches fresh ginger OR 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

Maple Caramel

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup Pacific Foods Cashew Unsweetened Original Non-Dairy Beverage
  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter (I used Miyokos salted cultured european style vegan butter)
  • Optional: pinch salt, but only if vegan butter is unsalted

Toppings

  • 1 cup sliced figs
  • Small handful rose petals

Instructions

Crust

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  1. To the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S blade, add the coconut flakes and almonds.
  2. Combine for about 30 seconds, until the almonds have broken down into a sandy flour.
  3. Add the dates, melted coconut oil and pinch of sea salt.
  4. Blend for about 30 seconds, until you have a malleable mix that looks like coarse sand.
  5. Press your crust firmly into the bottom of a 9” tart pan with a removable base. Set aside.

Cashew Cream Base

  1. For the cashew cream base: in the bowl of a high powered blender, combine the soaked cashew, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, Pacific Foods Cashew Unsweetened Original Non-Dairy Beverage, cardamom, vanilla, lemon juice and fresh ginger (or sub powdered ginger).
  2. Blend on high for 3-4 minutes, until the mix is super creamy and smooth.
  3. Taste and adjust sweetness and spices as you like.
  4. Pour the cream over your crust base and freeze until firm (my freezer is very cold so it only takes me an hour).

Maple Caramel Sauce

  1. While the tart is firming up, make the maple caramel: in a small sauce pot combine the maple syrup and Pacific Foods Cashew Unsweetened Original Non-Dairy Beverage.
  2. Set over medium low heat and simmer until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in the vegan butter and pinch of salt and cook for another few minutes, or until the mix coats the back of a spoon. Cut off the heat and let cool to room temp.
  4. Once cooled off, blend (or use an immersion blender) to bring the caramel together into a thick emulsified sauce. It thickens more as it cools. Note: I find this sauce tends to separate over time so I just re-blend it as needed.

Top it Off!

  1. To put the tart together: top the tart with sliced figs, a generous drizzle of salted maple caramel sauce and rose petals. Pop the tart out of the tart mould. Let thaw at room temp for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

This post is sponsored by Pacific Foods. You can find their new Cashew Beverages here! I am Pacific Foods Non-Dairy Ambassador for 2017. All opinions, photos and recipes are my own.