Deep, dark, chocolate velevet. Crunchy, crisp salty almonds. Perfection. Dairy-free, gluten-free, no refined sugar, raw & living food.

YIELD: 8-12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Salted Almonds:
1-1/4 cup filtered water, room temperature
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup almonds
pinch finely ground sea salt

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
½ cup raw cashew butter
½ cup unscented coconut oil
2 cups maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon nama shoyu or wheat-free tamari
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
seeds of 1 vanilla bean
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

PROCEDURE:

Salted Almonds:
1. Mix salt and water until dissolved. Soak almonds in salted water for 8-12 hours. Drain.
2. Toss with a pinch of finely ground sea salt and spread on dehydrator sheets. Dehydrate at 112?F for 12-20 hours, until completely dry. Set aside.

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
1. In a high-speed blender, stand-up mixer or food processor, place cashew butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, nama shoyu or tamari, vanilla extract and seeds. Blend or beat until very smooth. Add cocoa powder in 2 batches and blend or beat until very smooth.
2. Grease a tart pan or springform pan and spread ganache evenly in the bottom. Lift and drop the pan gently on the counter to reduce any air bubbles.
3. Chop salted almonds roughly and sprinkle evenly over the ganache. Gently lift and drop the pan again for almonds to set into the ganache. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours or until nice and firm.

SERVICE

Remove the outer ring of the tart pan or spirngform pan. Cut ganache into slices. Serve slightly chilled.

LEFTOVER STORAGE

Store covered or in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.