Low-Carb Chocolate & Cardamom Ganache Tart

As you know, I enjoy mixing sweet and savoury flavours together. Recently a friend of mine gave me the coolest gift, it was a book called the Flavour Thesaurus. It was all about pairing different flavours together.

I reached the C’s and read Chocolate and Cardamom and a lightbulb went off in my head. Seriously, don’t be afraid. I know that it sounds super weird, but the cardamom has a sweet spiced flavour which goes so beautifully with the bitter dark chocolate. And, let’s be honest, it’s a deceptively simple recipe for a spectacular desert.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    30 minutes
Overall:     2 hours

Nutritional values (per serving, slice)

Total Carbs	14.4	grams
Fiber	5.6	grams
Net Carbs	8.8	grams
Protein	9.4	grams
Fat	57.6	grams
of which Saturated	30.2	grams
Energy	576	kcal
Magnesium	141	mg (35% RDA)
Potassium	428	mg (21% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (6%), protein (6%), fat (88%)

Ingredients (makes 8 servings) Crust:

• 1 ½ cups almond flour (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
• ½ cup cacao powder (43 g/ 1.5 oz)
• ⅓ cup powdered Erythritol or Swerve (53 g/ 1.9 oz)
• 6 tbsp butter, melted (85 g/ 3 oz)

Filling & topping:

• 1 tsp ground cardamom or 10 cardamom pods, crushed or 2 drops of cardamom oil
• 1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream (300 ml/ 10.1 fl oz)
• 2 bars 90% dark chocolate, chopped roughly (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
• 1 cup crème fraiche or more heavy whipping cream (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder (5 g/ 0.2 oz)

Optional truffles for topping:

• ½ bar 90% dark chocolate, roughly chopped (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
• 5 tbsp heavy whipping cream (75 ml/ 2.5 fl oz)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/ 355 F. Place almond flour, cacao, Swerve ... ... and melted butter together in a bowl and mix well.
2. Spray one large tart pan with olive oil spray. Place the crust mixture into the tart pan ... ... and press into pan using your fingertips. I have learned over the years to finish off around the edges using a ¼ cup measure. The edge of the measuring cup helps to create a nice angle to the bottom of the tart.
3. Prick all over the base of the tart with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes until cooked but not scorched.
4. Remove from oven and cool completely. Place 300 ml of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and add your crushed cardamom. Heat until just below a simmer.
5. Place roughly chopped chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and strain the hot cream over the top. Do not stir for the first few minutes! I know that this is hard, but let the mixture sit for at least 5-10 minutes before stirring. Stirring will cool the mixture down too fast resulting in a grainy ganache. Patience will result in a smooth and velvety result.
6. Stir gently until all lumps have melted through.
7. Pour into tart shell and chill in refrigerator until set.
8. Serve with a healthy dollop of crème fraiche or double cream and a dusting of cocoa. Optional: Make a smaller batch of ganache and chill in fridge overnight until set firm and then roll into truffles to top the tart. This adds to the carbs (1 gram of net carbs per serving) but is lovely presentation for a special occasion.
   If you want to extend the amount of the ganache, whip the set ganache into a mousse-like texture and then pipe the balls on to a tray to chill. Enjoy!

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