Recipe: Vegan Berry Tart

Growing up, we would visit a little bakery in Egypt, La Palma, where we could choose miniature fruit-tarts for special occasions, like birthdays. This recipe, created with my mom's direction, is modeled off those tarts.

   1 whole wheat pie crust, unbaked (I used Maple Lane Bakery pie crusts)
   1/2 cup chocolate chips
   1 package soy vanilla pudding (I used Dr. Oetker Organics)
   Fresh berries (I used raspberries and blackberries)
   Fruit jam

Follow directions for baking the pie crust as unfilled. Be sure to prick holes in the crust's bottom so it won't bubble up. Melt the chocolate chips in a double-boiler, or in a small pan held over a larger pan with boiling water. Mix chips vigorously until they have melted into a smooth paste. Pour the chocolate into the baked crust and carefully smooth all around so it forms a chocolate crust. Put it into the freezer to cool. Meanwhile, follow directions for making the soy vanilla pudding, but reduce the soy milk by 1/4 to 1/8 of a cup. As soon as the chocolate has frozen solid, pour pudding in and smooth out. Cover pie with a layer of clingfilm so a crust won't form on the pudding. Put in the fridge to cool. When cooled, decorate with berries. I sliced berries in half lengthwise, then placed on the pie in a circular pattern, alternating raspberries with blackberries. If pre-rinsing the berries, let them dry out properly before placing on the pie. (I didn't, so the top of my pie was slightly soggy!) Melt a couple of tablespoons of jam in a small pan, then using a pastry brush, glaze the berries. Cool in the fridge, then serve with Soy Whip cream!

Calories ~ 250 calories per piece of pie, not including Soy Whip.