I recently tried the little Lemon Tart that Hail Merry makes and is available in most health food stores.  It does contain raw agave, which I normally don’t eat, but I was in a splurging like of mood so I gave it a shot.  (Plus, my Dr. recently told me I was okay with ALL sugar – wow!)

Well, it was amazing, melt in your mouth, lemon goodness.  I am normally not a lemon dessert fan but I couldn’t go for the chocolate tart because I am still reacting to it.  I didn’t regret it.

I was recently approaching a birthday – a significant one I guess, at 35.  So, I decided to celebrate by making my own version of this lovely tart.  The crust is a bit different as it does not contain cashews or coconut like the Hail Merry version does.  But its yummy and the filling tastes almost identical to me.

So, here is the recipe for you!  By the way, I have come across a couple of sites that say you can make your own coconut butter by simply putting dried and unsweetened coconut in a food processor or Vitamix and processing until it becomes butter.  This is just how you would make nut or seed butter, and whoever thought to try it with coconut is a genius.

Enjoy!

Recipe for Raw Lemon Tart (dairy-free, grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free)
Servings: 12
Prep + Cook = 50 minutes

1 1/2 cups almond flour
5 dates, pittted, preferably Medjool
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 dash vanilla
1 dash cinnamon
1 cup coconut butter, by Artisana or Tropical Traditions
1/2 cup lemon juice, from about 2 1/2 lemons
2-3 teaspoons lemon zest, from 2 lemons
1/3 cup raw honey, to taste
1 pinch sea salt

Steps:

1.  To make the crust, combine the dates, almond flour, 2 Tbsp. honey, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor.  Process until you have a sticky mass.  If it is too sticky or wet, add more flour.  If it is too dry, add another date or two.

2.  Make a large ball with the dough with your hands, then press it into a 9 inch pie pan or a tart pan.   If you have parchment paper, you can line the bottom of the pan to keep the tart from sticking.  Use your hands to mold it to the pan until it is even.

3.  To make the filling, wipe out the food processor.  Then add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.  Pour filling into the pie crust.  Use a spatula to even out the top.

4.  Refrigerate until the filling is set up, 30-60 minutes.  Enjoy!
Tip:

If you cannot eat nuts, you can use the Coconut Pie Crust recipe.  Prebake it and then add the filling.  Refrigerate until crust and filling is set.

Nutritional Info: Per Serving: 188 Calories; 10g Fat (44.7% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 13mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.