Temptress Tart

I was flipping through the pages of the delightfully flippant cookbook, Veganomicon, when I misread the title for Tempeh Shepherdess Pie as Temptress Pie. Hmm, I wondered, how would I develop a recipe for Temptress Pie? I was thinking of some lobster-Mornay-puff pastry sort of thing when I realized that a temptress would absolutely have to be a tart... So here she is, spicy, succulent, and somewhat surprising: how can you resist her?

For the crust:

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup ground chocolate wafers

1/4 cup toasted and ground hazelnuts

Star anise, one pod, ground

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Combine all ingredients except butter. Slowly incorporate butter. Press mixture into a 9 inch square tart pan with removable bottom. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.

For the filling:

Ingredients

I lb rhubarb, diced

1/2 cup cherry preserves

1/2 cup Creme de Cassis

1 Vanilla pod, scraped

Fresh strawberries halved

Fresh raspberries

Directions

Combine first four ingredients over medium heat and continue cooking until rhubarb breaks down completely and mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Pour cooled filling into cooled crust, top with fresh berries.

For the cream:

Ingredients

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1 packet vanilla sugar

1 oz. Frangelico

Directions

Dissolve espresso powder in cream and whip until soft peaks form. Add sugar, then Frangelico. Serve slices of tart topped with a voluptuous dollop of cream.

Need I say more...?