Raw Pear Tart with Cardamom Cashew Cream & Fresh Berries 

Recipe adapted from The 30-Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe

Photo Credit: Amaya Green

Gracing the tables of French nobility since the times of Marie Antoinette, the pear tart makes a perfect finale to any gourmet feast. With a walnut date crust and a cardamom cashew cream topping, this raw recipe demonstrates how living foods can be strikingly delicious as well as vibrantly healthful. 

Raw Pear Tart with Cardamom Cashew Cream & Fresh Berries 

Makes 1 9-inch tart

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup finely chopped pitted dates (try Medjool)

  • 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

  • pinch of ground cinnamon

  • pinch of ground cardamom

Cardamom Cashew Cream

  • 1 cup raw cashews

  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons coconut nectar, or sweetener to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • pinch of sea salt

Toppings

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 2 tablespoons coconut nectar or sweetener to taste

  • pinch of ground cinnamon

  • pinch of ground nutmeg

  • 2 large ripe pears, sliced into 1/2-inch strips

  • 1 pint fresh berries, rinsed and drained well

  • mint leaves

Directions

  1. Place the cashews in a small bowl with ample water to cover. Prepare the topping: Place the lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large shallow dish and mix well.  Add the sliced pears and gently coat well.

  2. Prepare the crust: Oil a 9-inch tart pan. Place the pecans in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add the dates, cinnamon, and cardamom and pulse-process until the ingredients are just ground up. Do not over-process or your crust will be too gummy.

  3. Transfer to the tart pan and press down firmly to create the crust. The mixture should be holding together. If not, return to the processor and process a bit further. Depending upon the moisture of the dates, you may need to add a small amount of water or liquid from the topping to help hold the crust together.

  4. Prepare the cashew cream: Drain and rinse the cashews well. Place them in a strong blender along with the 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and sweetener. Blend until creamy. The amount of water you will need will depend on the strength of your blender.

  5. Spread an even layer of the cream over the crust. Creatively place the pear slices on top of the cream. Try forming a spiral where each pear slice slightly overlaps the one next to it. 

  6. Decorate with fresh berries and mint leaves. If you have more time, chill for 15 minutes or more before serving.