Vegan Lilac White Chocolate Mousse Tarts

Lilacs are one of my favorite things about Spring. I mean yes, it is nice that the weather is warm again, or that I don't have to wear a coat and the grass is green, but lilacs just make me so happy. I mean tulips are awesome, and pretty but lilacs have that heavenly aroma that is like no other.  It seriously motivates me on my run when I am half way though and running past a bunch of fragrant lilac bushes.  Last week one day it was raining in the morning but that didn't stop me from going out for a run.  It is actually kind of peaceful when you have the roads and trails to yourself because all of the fair weather people are staying inside since they melt when they get wet.  That and there is a quiet stillness with just the sound of the gentle rain.

I ran past a bunch of lilacs and they smelled so amazing that I wished I could bottle that smell and wear it as a perfume.  Then I began to think about how I could make a lilac dessert of some sort. I have seen other people make them, and they are edible so why not?!  Something with lilac cream sounded heavenly!  I was on it! I went biking later that day and picked a few. I wish I had lilacs in my yard but that isn't the case.

I decided to make some white chocolate lilac cream tartlettes. Raw Guru recently sent me some cacao butter and raw cashew butter both of which I use for my white chocolate desserts, so it was perfect!  I started out with a coconut cream base, added those in and a touch of vanilla and I had a nice base for the lilacs. I used a good amount of them in this, and the cream was heavenly!

They deserved a buttery rich crust, so that is what I made, just my classic pie crust. I thought about making these no bake, but I prefer actual pastry sometimes instead of a press in raw type crust. Not that I don't like those sometimes, because they have their place. But this time I wanted the rich style!  The tartlettes turned out sooo good!  The lilac cream was heavenly, rich and delicious with that creamy white chocolate flavor, the perfect thing to fill a buttery crust with!  If you are a big lilac lover like me, definitely give these a try!

Vegan Lilac White Chocolate Mousse Tarts
Makes four 4 inch tarts

Crust:

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil*

Filling:

• 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk (the thick part from the top of the can)
• 1/2 cup fresh lilac blossoms
• 2 Tbsp Dastony raw cashew butter
• 1/3 cup Raw Guru Cacao Butter, warmed to liquid
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• a drop natural vegan purple food coloring (optional)

Garnish:

• lilac flowers

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
2. To make the crusts, combine the flour, coconut sugar, sea salt and coconut oil in a bowl and scrunch together with your hands and fingers until the coconut oil is well distributed, but it is clumping up and smaller than pea sized chunks remain.  Add the water and mix together until it forms a ball (but you don't want it too sticky).  If it happens to be too dry, add a touch more water. Divide dough into 4 balls.
3. Oil four 4 inch tart pans, and press the dough balls into the bottoms of the pans and up the sides, trimming off any extra.
4. Place the tart shells on a baking tray in the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes until lightly browned at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
5. To make the filling, place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Place in the freezer, until thick like whipped cream consistency, stirring every so often (about 30 minutes or so depending on how warm it was)  Once it has chilled, place it in a pasty bag and pipe into the tart shells.
6. Arrange berries on top of the tarts, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.