My mother made chocolate pudding from a little boxed mix, and hot cow milk.  We loved everything she gave us, but chocolate drove a passion like no other food.  The mix made six portions for our family of five, and my big brother was clever to reserve the extra share by licking his index finger and leaving a damp print on the last portion’s cold skin.

You can see the appreciation of chocolate in the next generation, especially my younger daughter, Heidi.  She was my little helper in the kitchen, and we explored healthy recipes, using protein powders, bananas, peanuts, and unsweetened cocoa to enhance her stamina.  She could not play soccer and basketball on an empty stomach, and our culinary concoctions powered her so efficiently that she became a capable athlete.  We didn’t know it then, but now we understand that chocolate is health food and Heidi is all grown up, 5’ 10”.

When Heidi lived in Mexico, she met Javier. They fell in love and got married.  While honeymooning in Oaxaca they visited a health food store and sampled a chocolate tart, made with neither dairy nor sugar, which satisfied their particular dietary needs.  They revisited the store during anniversary vacations and continued to enjoy it.

They recently moved near my wife and me, in Kingston, New York and, after a recent trip to Mexico, Javier was inspired to copy and improvise.  The recipe worked so well, that he brought it with him to share as dessert with us after Valentine dinner. This cold, unbaked chocolate tart is delicious and healthy, like fruit, nuts and unsweetened chocolate.  We even had a 100% cold coconut-milk schlag, which we ate before the photo.