Blind Dates (The Chewy Kind)

I cannot overemphasise how brilliant of an ingredient Dates are to use in (processed) sugar free cookery. They are sweet, chewy and sticky in texture and have a wonderful caramel like flavour, making them perfect to use in sweet treats. Although dates do contain a high amount of natural sugar; it does not compare to the negative effects of processed sugar on the body. So to be able to come up with a recipe which is healthy, totally delicious and can be indulged in without feeling too guilty is a triumph!

Yesterday evening I had a chocolate craving, so in the Nigella-Esq way (Que the low lighting and silk dressing gown!), I creeped my way to the kitchen and put a handful of dates, almonds, a few Brazil nuts with a couple of tea spoons of cocoa powder into a blender and blitzed, resulting in a sticky, chocolate, chewy, nutty, brownie like mixture. So leaving the mess behind in the kitchen I took the blitzed up yumminess to the sofa and happily eat out of the bowl, satisfying my sweet tooth!

  

With the remainder of the mixture I rolled it out and sprinkled with desiccated coconut and cocoa powder and left it in the fridge to harden overnight. I also have made them with Pumpkin, Sunflower seeds and peanut butter and they are equally as delicious and slightly cheaper to make.

Ingredients

Nuts e.g. Almonds/Brazil/Pecan/Peanuts...

Dates

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Method

Blitz everything up in a food processor until the consistency of the mixture is achieved and put in a baking tray and leave in the fridge to harden, or if you can't wait that long... go ahead and eat it ASAP!