There is wisdom in the old saying, “the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” but it’s only half true: the internal digestive system is in fact the quickest way to anyone’s heart, not just men’s. And, beyond that, it is worth mentioning that nothing gets along quite as well as tacos and stomachs.
Whether it’s directed to a sweetheart or yourself, nothing says “I love you” quite like a taco. Valentine’s day is a day to remind your loved ones what they mean to you, but it’s also important to love yourself. In short, it is a day for tacos. They will never hurt you; they will never disappoint you; they will never be anything less than perfect.
We are hopeless romantics here at The Experiment, so we thought we’d give everyone a chance to fall in love all over again: Chocolate-Raspberry Dessert Tacos. This recipe from The Taco Cleanse by Wes Allison, Stephanie Bogdanich, Molly R. Frisinger and Jessica Morris isn’t just a reminder that dessert is allowed on the Taco Cleanse, it’s also the perfect Valentine’s day treat.
CHOCOLATERASPBERRYDESSERT TACOS
Makes 10 tacos
Raspberry preserves:
1 cup (125 g) frozen or fresh raspberries
6 tablespoons (80 g) sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Easy chocolate ganache:
½ cup (88 g) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons (30 ml) cooking oil
Soft taco shell
1 tablespoon (13 g) sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¹/3 cup (75 ml) almond milk
1 tablespoon (15 ml) cooking oil
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¹/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cornstarch
Powdered sugar
For the raspberry preserves:
1. Combine all the preserve ingredients in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Stir intermittently until the preserves thicken to the consistency of jam. Allow to cool.
For the chocolate ganache:
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and oil on high for 90 seconds, or until melted. Stir well to combine.
For the taco shells:
1. Preheat your griddle on high, approximately 350 to 400°F (175 to 200°C). If using a stovetop griddle, heat to medium. A tabletop griddle will work better than a stovetop griddle.
2. Whisk the sugar, vanilla extract, almond milk, and oil together in a medium bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, one half at a time. The batter shouldn’t be too thick. Add more almond milk if necessary.
3. Once the griddle has heated up, pour on a tablespoon of batter. Using the back of your tablespoon, smooth out the batter to a circle about 3 inches wide. You should be able to see the griddle through the batter. Let the batter cook on one side for 1 to 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Small bubbles should appear on the uncooked surface and the shell should be fairly thin. Flip using a spatula and allow the other side to cook completely. Transfer to a plate.
4. Fold each taco shell in half, stuff with the raspberry preserves, drizzle with the chocolate ganache, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. You should be able to pick up your taco, but we won’t judge you if you eat it with a fork (poser).
5. Store any leftover jam covered tightly in the refrigerator for about a week.
Wes Allison, Stephanie Bogdanich, Molly R. Frisinger, and Jessica Morris live in Tacotopia (Austin, TX). They introduced the Taco Cleanse at the 2013 Vegan Month of Food by eating tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 30 days. Veganmofo.com said, “It should come as no surprise that the newsworthy, tortilla-stockpiling Taco Cleanse . . . not only tops my own list of memories, but everyone else’s.” The crack team of taco scientists are pictured below in full garb, presumably on the verge of presenting some of their paradigm-shifting taco research. You can follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Facebook. Be sure to check out their website for more info!
