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So the other week I was innocently watching one of the Stand Up 2 Cancer Bake Off specials on Channel 4 where the bakers faced a technical challenge as per usual. In this episode, Prue Leith asked the bakers to make Vegan Chocolate and Raspberry Tarts.
My thought process was then as follows: Okay, vegan shortcrust pastry, I have made that before, you can simply use vegan butter or coconut oil to make that – straightforward enough. And coconut oil was exactly what the bakers were given. Next, a chocolate ganache filling. Well, most dark baking chocolate is already vegan, and then I assumed they would use a vegan alternative to double cream, something I have used to make a vegan chocolate ganache myself in the past. But no, they made a chocolate ganache with WATER! So I thought water? WATER??? Every baker knows that you always need to keep chocolate far away from water (or it will seize/split)!!! But low and behold, the bakers tried it and it seemed to work. It is an understatement to say I was absolutely MIND-BLOWN! Meaning I had no other choice than to try it for myself! And here’s how it went:
How to make Vegan Shortcrust Pastry
I always used to hate making shortcrust pastry as I could just never get it to work! It would just break and crumble, and it was just an entirely frustrating process! I eventually figured out how to do it, and have created a Baking Basics post on this blog previously outlining my (hopefully) fool-proof recipe for shortcrust pastry with a lot of helpful tips and tricks!
I also included how to make a vegan version of the pastry, in which I used a vegan alternative to butter. This Vegan Chocolate and Raspberry Tart recipe however, using coconut oil as the fat component for the pastry. Make sure the coconut fat is solid when you use it, so place it in the fridge to harden if your kitchen is warm and the coconut oil is liquid or soft at room temperature (no chance of that in Aberdeen, haha!).
This recipe is for four small tarts (I used these tart tins from Morrisons), but you could also make one larger one, about 20cm in diameter. Also, make sure you check out my Baking Techniques Post to find out How to Perfectly Line a Tart Tin!
How to make Vegan Chocolate Ganache – With Water! (*Mind-blowing*)
I still cannot get over how well this worked and that this vegan chocolate ganache actually tasted great, too! Absolutely mind-blown! As I said above, Prue’s Vegan Chocolate and Raspberry Tart recipe called for using water, rather than a cream-alternative, to make the chocolate ganache!
The methodology for making the ganache is exactly the same as for “normal” ganache (see here). You finely chop the chocolate and place it into a heatproof bowl, then you pour the warm liquid over it and stir the chocolate in until it’s fully melted and smooth. Except in that in this case, the liquid component isn’t double cream, but a water and brown sugar syrup instead!
More Bake Off Technical Challenges
I know this isn’t a technical challenge from the main show, but I thought I’d still add this to the list. As some of you who read my blog more frequently might know, I am trying to attempt all of the technical challenges set on the Great British Bake Off. I’ve already ticked quite a few of the list, so check out some of my favourites below.
- Mary Berry’s Religieuses
- Mary Berry’s Fraisier Cake
- Paul Hollywood’s Hand-raised Chicken, Bacon and Apricot Pies
- Mary Berry’s Bakewell Tart with feathered Icing
- Paul’s Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
- Mary Berry’s Frosted Walnut Layer Cake
- Paul Hollywood’s Cottage Loaf
- Mary Berry’s Homemade Jaffa Cakes
- Paul Hollywood’s Wagon Wheel Biscuits
- Mary Berry’s Victoria Sponge Cake
- Paul Hollywood’s Mini Pork Pies
- Mary Berry’s Viennese Whirls
- Prue’s Vegan Chocolate and Raspberry Tarts (S2UC Special)
- Pizza Star Bread (Junior Bake Off)
- Mary Berry’s Coffee and Walnut Battenberg Cake
- Paul’s Crusty White Cob
- Paul Hollywood’s Rainbow Bagels
- Prue Leith’s Malt Loaf
- Paul’s Jammy Biscuits
- Paul Hollywood’s Olive Ciabatta Bread Sticks with Homemade Tzatziki
- Prue Leith’s Sticky Toffee Puddings with Sesame Tuiles
- Prue Leith’s Prinzregententorte
- Paul Hollywood’s Baklava (22cm)
- Paul’s Caramel Biscuit Bars (Twix)
- Prue Leith’s Vegan Sausage Rolls
- Prue’s Sablé Breton Cake
- Paul Hollywood’s Sticky Belgian Buns
- Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
- Prue’s Garibaldi Biscuits with Feathered Chocolate Icing
- Paul Hollywood’s Pain au Raisins
- Paul’s Spicy Beef Tacos
- Paul Hollywood’s S’mores
- Prue Leith’s Pistachio Praline Ice Cream Cones
- Vegetable Spring Rolls
- Prue’s Vertical Chocolate, Hazelnut, and Raspberry Tarts
- Paul Hollywood’s Devonshire Splits
Vegan Chocolate and Raspberry Tarts
Recipe
Ingredients (makes 4 tarts):
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 100g plain flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 50g coconut oil (solid)
- 2-4 tbsp cold water
FOR THE GANACHE:
- 175g vegan dark chocolate (I used Dr Oetker’s baking chocolate)
- 75ml water
- 50g soft light brown sugar
TO FINISH:
- 300 fresh raspberries, washed and patted dry
- A little icing sugar to dust
YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
Method:
- To make the pastry, sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine. Then add the coconut oil and break it into small pieces, coating in in the flour mix as you do so. Using your fingertips, carefully rub the coconut oil into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Next, add about 2-4 tbsp of ice-cold water, one at a time, and work into the pastry until it starts to come together (you don’t want it to be crumbly but also not wet). Gently knead the dough until it is just smooth (don’t overwork it), wrap it in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes (check out my Baking Basics post for more tips for making Shortcrust Pastry).
- In the meantime, you can wash the raspberries and put them onto a piece of kitchen towel to dry.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/170° fan.
- Before lining the pastry tins, make sure to check out my post on “How to Line a Tart Tin” for some extra tips to achieve a perfectly lined pastry tin! Remove the pastry from the fridge and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a rough ball, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to make a disc that is roughly 15 cm in diameter and 2-3 mm thick.
- Carefully line the four mini tart tins with the pastry, making sure to press the pastry into the fluted edges of the tin. Leave the overhang on for now, as the pastry will still shrink a little in the oven. Prick the bases all over with a fork.
- Scrunch up four small pieces of baking paper (this will help it to fit into the tart cases), then un-scrunch and put them into the four tins, before adding the baking beans to weigh it down.
- Bake the pastry cases in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and lift out the baking beans with the baking paper (careful, then beans will be very hot). Use a sharp knife to carefully trim the overhanging pastry from the sides of the tin, then return the tart cases to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to bake the pastry completely. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- In the meantime, prepare the vegan chocolate ganache. Finely chop the dark chocolate and place it into a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, gently heat the water with the sugar until the sugar has fully dissolved. Then turn up the heat a little and heat the syrup until just below boiling point.
- Pour the sugar syrup over the chopped chocolate and whisk immediately. The mixture might look a bit split at first, but continue whisking until the ganache is thick and smooth. Leave the ganache out at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes to allow it to thicken slightly.
- Carefully remove the pastry cases from their tins, then divide the chocolate ganache evenly between the four tart cases.
- Decorate the tops of the tarts with the fresh raspberries and dust with icing sugar just before serving!
