GF Marbled Kabocha Squash Delights
By: Laura Bray
Published: Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 12:42pm

Ingredients




Pumpkin Spice Crust:
1 1/2 cups almonds
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 ml) maple syrup
1 tablespoon (.5 ounces/15 ml) melted extra-virgin coconut oil
Marbled Pumpkin Filling:
3/4 cups (4 ounces/115 grams) cashews, covered in cool water and soaked at least 4 hours
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted and warm extra-virgin coconut oil
2 cups roasted Kabocha Squash
1/4 cup almond milk
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1 To roast the squash preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the squash in half.  For this recipe you only need half.  Scrape out the seeds and cut the squash into pieces.  Roast for 20-30 minutes or until it is soft! 2 To make the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and salt until the nuts are finely ground. Drizzle in the maple syrup and coconut oil, then pulse until the mixture clumps together. 3 I put my crust into a 6 1/2 X 10 cake pan, but you can also use an 8 or 9 inch circular cake pan, as well.  Tart pans work nicely, too and make for a good presentation.  Press the crust so that it covers the bottom and a bit up the sides of the pan.  Put the crust in the freezer to set. 4 To make the filling:In a food processor, add the soaked and drained cashews, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse. Add the water and vanilla extract, and process until the mixture is completely smooth, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the blender a couple times along the way. As the mixture processes, pour in the melted coconut oil and process until combined. 5 Remove the skin from the squash pieces and again in the food processor puree the squash.  Add the almond milk, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract.  Process until combined and smooth. 6 To assemble the tart: Retrieve the crust from the freezer and pour the squash mixture over the crust. Smooth with a spatula.  Drop spoonfuls of the cashew cream onto the surface of the tart (you will only use up to 1/3 cup or even less). Use a toothpick and swirl the creme so that you achieve a marbling effect with the squash mixture. 7 Chill the tart until completely set, at least 4 hours and up to a day. Alternatively, you can put it in the freezer if you are short on time, but be sure to defrost before serving! 8 When the delights are set, use a sharp knife to cut the tart into squares.

About

Inspired by Bojon Gourmet's Marbled Pumpkin Tart
My version is gluten free, raw, and vegan!  The base is Kabocha squash rather than the usual pumpkin or butternut squash.  This is the perfect seasonal dessert for a fall weekend!