I’ve tried to think of a more appealing name for these as they taste so much better than they sound. Again, these are incredibly easy to make. My 11-year-old can whip them up in a few minutes and she has yet to master boiling an egg, so you get the picture.
Makes about 30-40 depending on how generous you’re feeling. Store in the fridge, double the batch and freeze. They defrost rapidly and are great when the munchies hit.
You’ll need
- 300g walnuts
- 200g hazelnuts or pecans
- 230g Medjoool dates, roughly chopped (pitted weight x12)
- 100g carrot, finely grated (1 medium)
- 20g dessicated coconut
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon
- I tsp ground ginger
- Zest 1 orange
- Top with min 70% dark chocolate (100-300g depending on how chocolatey you like) mixed with 30g coconut oil
Method
- Whizz up the walnuts, hazelnuts/pecan /nuts of choice in your food processor until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the grated carrot, coconut, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest. Pulse again to reach a sticky type consistency.
- Press the mixture firmly into a parchment lined square baking tray (20x20x5), using the back of a spoon to press it down. Place in fridge for as long as you have to spare or as long as it takes to make the chocolate topping. This bit is optional, but dear God, it tastes so good.
- I melt the coconut oil and dark chocolate in the microwave but if you’re feeling fancy use a bain-marie. When melted, pour the chocolate over the nut mix from fridge and smooth out with a spoon. Try not to indulge as you let it cool and transfer again to the fridge for at least half an hour to set.
- Once set remove from fridge and lift the set cake out onto a board and use a sharp warm knife to cut into small squares (30-42 depending on your preference).
Health Design tips 💚
- Adjust sweetness by using more or less dates. As always, avoid dates that contain sulphur dioxide. Ensure you have 100% dates. And it’s fine if you can’t get medjool, just soak in hot water for a few minutes and drain before using if the dates feel overly dry.
- And as ever use whatever nuts you like.