![tarttitle.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmarCwrMs38P1qKi8Gnr4qSsYXheHhGojAeTNmKrrkM2ZT/tarttitle.jpg)

![strawberries1.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmeqnwgwrPJKPy9coQawA7YiFTNTrDapNrCyDAjqxrCNjc/strawberries1.jpg)

This is my first time participating in the Steemit Culinary Challenge and what a challenging one to start with! At least from my past experience, I've always found tarts difficult to make — the hardest part for me is getting them out of the mold in one piece! 

I want to thank @kotturinn for introducing me to this competition. I love to cook and bake, and this seems like a great way to try new recipes AND work on my photography skills!

The recipe I'm sharing today is a raw strawberry chocolate tart. At my local farmer's market, strawberries are so cheap right now! I got two boxes for only $3 USD. I wanted to make something raw because it's summer here in Detroit and sometimes it's just too hot to have the oven on.

Here's the ingredients list:

**For the crust:**
1 1/2 C  almond flour
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1 T maple syrup
Pinch sea salt
1/4 C coconut sugar

**For the filling:**
1 1/2 C fresh strawberries
2/3 C coconut oil, melted
2 T maple syrup
2 t vanilla extract

First, put all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl and mix it up with a fork.
![ingredients1.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSxdKGLcuTd6pPA2cxfUujEanih9cqGw3XZsghDoxvP24/ingredients1.jpg)

The resulting mixture has a sandy texture.
![ingredientsmixed.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcjhMk6CYC6MKYVyschVtbt2RfpazD7QL9WtLLrjnDrxw/ingredientsmixed.jpg)

Not to worry, you can easily scoop the mixture into your tart mold and press down with your fingers to create the crust. (I'm a bit messy, as you can see.) I didn't have any proper tart molds, so I used a muffin tin. Worked fine for me! Put the shells into the freezer while you work on the filling.
![shells.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYKUA1NcRzu9aLW9rcmLXd9wGUjgzCFkJNHqXMFkcPMm9/shells.jpg)

Wash and de-stem the strawberries.
![strawberries2.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSnPvLaKgr4wEdgrcy3MWdn3cxuxtmQZ7yD3z2WJCVFqo/strawberries2.jpg)

Throw all the filling ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth. The coconut oil should be melted, but in this photo, you'll see it solidified a bit once it touched the cold strawberries.
![blender1.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmadgh82iTLNMxzQSRDhjGrPRNk1YxjmnWzTKSvt1uGXi7/blender1.jpg)

Here it is blended. Looks like a strawberry smoothie.
![blender2.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdhpNandkPQAk6S1yaABPehM8Hf25ZevafxWFnpRqePLm/blender2.jpg)

Take the crust out of the freezer and pour the filling into the crust. Now, let the tart chill in your refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. After chilling, carefully pry the tarts out from the mold and enjoy!
![filled.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbETz29BBABt9fQ8nzJyGwnQVd3TV4j5XaPA4eLTiiAY1/filled.jpg)

Here are the finished tarts! If you slice the strawberries just right, they look a bit like hearts :)
![finishedtarts.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPrkwuV8xVrUNMkooNCE5SgzE7MsnnhuPXGWD7SY7Mzvt/finishedtarts.jpg)

The tarts remind me of chocolate dipped strawberries. I really like the filling. It's bright and sweet, but not too sweet. Next time, I'd like to try and substitute the sugar in the crust with dates. I've made date/cashew balls before and they seem to hold up well. My hypothesis is that the dates will help the crust stay together even better since they're sticky.

Thanks @biglipsmama for judging, @woman-onthe-wing for hosting, and @smooth & @sirwinchester for sponsoring! This is such a great idea to have a recipe competition on Steemit. Even though it's only my first week participating, I already love checking out everyone's posts and having a reason to try new recipes!