This recipe was created by my chef student, Claire Buxton and featured on The Vegan Society website.

Prep time - 30 minutes

Cook time - 20 minutes

Difficulty - Easy

Serves / makes - 10-12 portions

Ingredients

120g hazelnuts or other nuts

75g oats

75g desiccated coconut

Pinch of sea salt

1tbsp cocoa powder

150g soft dates, if they are not soft soak in hot water for 10 minutes

1tbsp water

1tbsp syrup

250g 70% cocoa vegan cooking chocolate, melted

300g silken tofu

1tsp peppermint essence

2 tins full fat coconut milk

1tbsp icing sugar or syrup

4tbsp cornflour

For decoration - 

Mint leaves

Crushed hazelnuts

Icing sugar

Equipment

8 inch cake tin

Baking paper

Blender 

Chopper or food processor

Jug for blending

Saucepan

Small jug or cup

Mixing spoon

Fine sieve for icing sugar decoration

Method

1. Put the nuts, oats, coconut, sea salt and cocoa in a food processor and blend until it is a breadcrumb texture. Add dates, water and syrup, blend again. If you do not have a food processor use pre-ground nuts and simply mix the nuts, oats, coconut, sea salt and cocoa in a bowl. Finely chop the dates as small as you can, add them to the bowl, with the water and syrup, mix well.

2. Put this into an 8 inch cake tin, press flat with the back of a spoon. 

3. Blend the chocolate, tofu and peppermint essence. Pour into the cake tin then top with crushed hazelnuts. Put the torte into the fridge. 

4. Put the coconut milk into a saucepan. Add a couple of tablespoons of coconut milk into a small jug or cup. Add the icing sugar or syrup and cornflour. Mix well then add back to the saucepan. Stir in, put the pan on a medium heat. 

5. Allow the coconut milk to cook for around 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly. It will thicken gradually, continue cooking it until it is as thick as you like your custard to be.

6. Remove the torte from the fridge, add a few mint leaves and a scattering of icing sugar.

7. Serve the torte with lashings of coconut custard.