Raw Mint Chocolate Tartlets

And we’re back with chocolate! Phew! I didn’t know if I would survive much longer. (Insert mental image of me foraging along an arid desert, sun drenched and covered in dirt and grime, vultures circling the sky above me, barely clinging on to life but knowing chocolate may just be over the next sand dune…) I’m happy to report I’m still alive and kicking and I’ve even made you a new tasty raw Paleo treat! Oooh a raw Paleo treat eh?! Technically I don’t know if it’s really considered raw because the coconut oil needs to be in a liquid state which means you might have to heat it up a tad to melt it, but we’ll let it slide and hope no one calls the Raw Food Police.

In life as we all know certain flavors just pair well together, for no apparent reason at all other than to humor us. My favorite of all flavor combinations always has been and always will be Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Gasp! Yep, you heard me! I said it! I know I know, peanuts aren’t Paleo. SO instead of whining about it for another paragraph or so, I’ll spare you the dribble and just say another exquisite flavor combination that I love truly and dearly is Mint and Chocolate. Oh. So. Good.

These tartlets are almost absurd in how easy they are to make. They have a black belt in decadence and will karate chop any mint chocolate craving in the face. I’ve been in such an obsessive mint chocolate mood lately. I couldn’t even decide on just one recipe. I actually don’t even think it’s fair to mint and chocolate to stop at just one. Do you?! It’s a good thing your mint chocolate well-being is at the top of my priority list, so much so that I’ll have another gem of a recipe out for you soon! To hold you over until then, come with me on a little escapade into the rich mint chocolate realms of luxury. I never said I wasn’t dramatic.

Paleo Raw Mint Chocolate Tartlets
*Makes two 3″ Tartlets or four Mini Tartlets

Tartlet Crust
Ingredients:
1/2 cup natural almond flour, unblanched (Trader Joe’s Just Almond Meal)
1/4 cup unsweetened dark or regular cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
1. Add the almond flour, cocoa powder, and salt to a small bowl and mix together with a fork.

2. Then pour in the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix until well combined.

3. Break off sections of the dough and press into your chosen tart mold using your finger to press and flatten into the mold and bring up the sides. You can use 3″ tartlet dishes for bigger ones or silicone liners for mini tartlets. When finished place in the refrigerator to firm up while you make your filling, about 10 minutes or so.

Tartlet Filling
Ingredients:

4 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid)
3 tablespoons unsweetened dark or regular cocoa powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon plus a few drops of peppermint extract
pinch of sea salt
mint leaves and pistachios for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. In a small bowl combine all your ingredients and stir together.

2. Now remove the tartlet crusts from the refrigerator and pour the liquid filling mixture into the crust, stopping at the top. Place back into refrigerator to firm and set for 10 minutes. Garnish with mint leaves and pistachios. Keep refrigerated and let them sit out at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Oh my gosh, how crazy easy and delicious was that?! Yum! It seriously might be the easiest mint chocolate recipe ever. This would be such an easy dessert to whip up if you were having a few friends over for dinner or if you were just doing a chick flick night in your pj’s by yourself. Heck, make them in your pj’s while watching a chick flick before your dinner guests come over. Who cares. Just make them. My Non-Paleo taste tester of a boyfriend Brad, set aside his normally abhorrent attitude towards sweets, especially Paleo ones, to take a bite of this and let me know what he thought. “Mmm this is really good!” (Then he took one more bite and set it down to go pursue some other manly activity.)

I promised CrossFit Krishelle that I would give her whatever I made this week because every time I see her she’s like “When are you bringing me one of your Paleo desserts, I want one!!!” Now whenever I open the fridge to get something and I see the Paleo chocolate mintyness staring out at me, calling softly to me, I wish I hadn’t made her that promise. I want it’s mint chocolate pleasures all for myself! Selfish? Greedy? Maybe. You make it and tell me if you want to share. Sure I already had one yesterday but so?! Are you already looking forward to our next mint chocolate escapade…I sure am. Can you tell. This is what happens in cases of chocolate deprivation. They’ve done studies people. This is like real scientific evidence here.