Rollicking Road Tart for One

My brother and I used to make root-beer floats with rocky road ice cream when we were teenagers. This pie tastes a lot like the pie version of that, only more chocolatey. All I know is that I’ll remember it as fondly as I do those teenaged floats. As my dad would say: It’s not elegant, but it gets the job done.

For the Crust:

¼ cup whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons cocoa powder

2 ½ TBLSP almond flour (or other nut flour)

1 ½ TBLSP packed brown sugar

Pinch of sea salt

2 ½ TBLSP non-dairy butter, melted

For the Filling:

¼ cup dark chocolate chips

2 teaspoons non-dairy butter

1/3 cup almond milk (or other full-fat non-dairy milk)

1/3 cup vegan mini-marshmallows

1 ½ TBLSP toasted pecans

1 ½ TBLSP toasted coconut

1 ½ TBLSP toasted walnuts

1 ½ TBLSP toasted cashews

Make the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, almond flour, sugar, and sea salt.
2. Add in the melted butter and mix until the dough sticks together when you pinch it. It’s a pretty dry dough.
3. Press the crust into a single-serving tart pan, covering the bottom completely and the sides as best you can.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until crisp to the touch.

Let it cool on a wire rack.

Make the Filling:

1. Chop the chocolate chips a bit and then place the bits in a small bowl with the butter.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk until almost but not quite boiling. Pour it over the chocolate chip bits and butter and whisk the mixture until it’s all melted and smooth.
3. In another small bowl, combine the marshmallows, toasted nuts, and coconut. (I toasted the nuts and coconut in a dry frying pan over high heat for about 4 minutes, agitating constantly. I just did ‘em all in the same pan.)
4. Fold in most of the marshmallow and nut mixture into the chocolate mixture, saving some of it for the top.
5. Spread the chocolate and marshmallow mixture into the cooled crust and smooth the top’s surface.
6. Sprinkle the top with the remaining toasted nuts, coconut, and marshmallows, and press them in slightly.
7. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

Devour like it’s your birthday and you forgot you were a grown up.