I have enjoyed long spells of eating only raw, vegan food–and as vibrant and energetic as I felt, I also felt like I was spending seriously long amounts of time making raw food seem like cooked food. Desserts especially were a challenge, what with all of the dehydrating of things and young coconut meat-getting, they sometimes took days to prepare.

I wanted to post a vegan chocolate cake recipe today, and thought, given the head-swirling heat we’re having in the northeast, that a no-bake version would be fitting. The question was: Could I find one that people would actually have the time to make? I did. Yay! Matthew Kenney to the rescue, once again. Here’s his recipe for a no-bake, vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Tart from Everyday Raw (Gibbs Smith, 2008) that is richer and more delicious than many conventional chocolate desserts I have tasted. And, it doesn’t require special equipment, unobtainable ingredients, or several days to make.

Crust
2 cups organic chocolate cookie crumbs (see recipe below for how to make raw ones, or use store bought conventional ones)
1/4 cup coconut oil

Filling
1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked in water from one to three hours, then drained
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons agave syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon hazelnut extract

Make the Crust
1. Mix coconut oil into cookie crumbs until crumbs hold together. Press in a very thin layer in tart pan and chill in freezer before filling.

Make the Filling
1. Blend all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or food processor until very smooth. Fill cookie crumb crust and chill in freezer overnight. Remove tart from pan and serve. Store leftovers in freezer.

For Raw Vegan Cookie Crumbs
To keep this recipe raw, you’ll need to make these raw cookie crumbs which require the use of a dehydrator. Otherwise, just use store bought organic cookies to crumb.

2 cups cocoa powder
2 cups oat flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup agave syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well with hands.

2. Crumble into small pieces (no bigger that 1/2 inch) onto dehydrator screens. Dehydrate for three days.

3. After dehydrating, process in food processor until small crumb consistency is reached.

4. Sift crumbs from flour, use flour for another recipe.