Photo credit: Rita E
Fancy sinking your teeth into a soft, refreshing Elderberry filling inside a biscuity vegan tart base? Oh my, you’re in for a treat! Here’s my recipe that I whip up whenever I need a healthy sweet treat.
There’s a new buzzword in natural healing, ‘inflamaging’, and it refers to the gradual increase in inflammation in our bodies as we age. This is associated with chronic disease and is not helped by the many factors we are exposed to daily such as stress, pollution and processed food.
There are a number of medicinal plants that offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions, perfect for reducing the level of inflammation in your body. Try my Vegan Elderberry Tarts as a starting point. Elderberries are rich in antioxidant compounds and they’re naturally delicious. So it’s really a no brainer, if you want to age gracefully and joyfully, this is the herb for you.
Each winter I make Elderberry vinegar extracts sweetened with honey, but today, I’m bursting into the kitchen with glee to whip up some yummy Elderberry tarts. So here goes!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup chopped medjool dates
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp dried Elderberries (Sambucus nigra)
- 1 cup hot boiled water
- 3/4 cup full fat coconut cream
- 1/4 cup rice malt syrup
- 1 tsp agar agar
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp orange peel/zest to sprinkle over later
METHOD
- First make the bases by combining the almonds, coconut oil, shredded coconut and medjool dates in a blender until sticky
- Press into molds and pop in the fridge for 30 mins or up to 24 hours
- Next make the filling. Put the berries in a cup and pour the hot water over them. Leave to infuse for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours (if you are doing an overnight infusion, after it has cooled, pop it in the fridge overnight)
- When the infusion is ready, strain to remove the berries and take out 1/2 cup worth, the rest can be drunk or discarded
- Heat the coconut cream in a small pot over medium heat, adding the elderberry infusion when the cream is hot.
- Now whisk in the agar agar and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for a 2-3 minutes.
- Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, before pouring into the moulds
- Leave in the fridge to set. It takes about 30 minutes.
If you don’t have access to Elderberries, you can use raspberry, blueberry or mixed berries instead. Here’s a tip: if the berries are red, blue or dark purple, then they’re antioxidant.
I love working with fruits in my kitchen, especially those with medicinal qualities. Check out some other recipes here in the blog for more inspiration on using berries as culinary medicine.
Hey there! Welcome to my world of totally natural and powerful healing medicines. Medicines from nature. Medicine from Source. I’m a naturopath and herbalist with extensive clinical experience working with a range of health conditions including hormonal, metabolic, mental health, sleep and more.
I’ve brought together years of clinical and teaching experience, academic skill and curiosity to bring you this blog. I hope you enjoy it! If you do, leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!
