These are totally delicious! I wish i knew who’s recipe it was (I wish it was mine!) because it’s really excellent. If it’s yours please do let me know as I would love to credit you! Although I have made a couple of tweaks – I hope you don’t mind. The recipe came home from school as part of mental healthy awareness week. Isn’t that wonderful – teaching children that cooking and eating well can and will improve your mental health. They’re also really easy to make.
Prepare: 20 minutes, plus freezing
Makes: 16 (or more or less if you like)
200g pitted dates
100g porridge oats
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter (or other nut or seed butter)
1/4 tsp sea salt
A handful of salted peanuts
180g pack milk or dark chocolate, melted
- Put the dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, put the oats into a food processor and wizz until fine, to make ‘oat flour’.
- Drain the dates and put them into the food processor (there’s no need to wash it in between). Add the peanut butter, salt and 1 tbsp hot water. Blend until smooth to make date caramel, scraping down the sides occasionally if needed. Remove to a bowl.
- Put the oat flour into the food processor (again there’s no need to wash it). Add 3 tablespoons of the date mixture and blend, gradually adding 1-3 tablespoons of hot water to make a sticky dough. Press this firmly into the base of a baking parchment lined 900g loaf tin, until flat and pushed into all the corners.
- Spread the remaining date caramel over the top, then scatter with the peanuts and push them into the top. Place into the freezer for at least 2 hours or until very firm.
- Remove from the tin, then using a sharp knife, cut into 16 bars (or make more or less if you like). Dip into melted chocolate using two forks, let any excess drop off, then sit on a wire rack to set. Chill in the fridge until firm – if they last that long.
