Raw Caramel Slices

This was my first venture into the world of raw desserts and I have to admit, I was pretty sceptical.

My very first recipe on my blog was my Granny's Caramel Shortbreads, a recipe that is still a favourite and forever requested by friends and family alike. And though I have tried to create new versions of it - the goal being to create a similar thing but without dairy or wheat, they've been good, but they've never quite beaten the real thing. I've never been one to give up on a challenge; especially a self appointed one, so I've tried and tried and now I think I've finally gotten somewhere.

In the past the different caramels I've tried making have contained nut butters, coconut milk or dairy free butter/marg. to replace the usual ingredients. However this time I've tried something a little different - Tahini.  Yep, the same tahini that's used to make hummus and dressings, I used to make caramel - as I said earlier I was (very) sceptical. Reading through a number of recipes that did a similar thing I knew the only way to find out if it was any good was to try it myself. 

When I did, I hesitantly tried the tiniest bit and paused, took another taste and realised this stuff was actually good, very good. I was so pleasantly surprised by the outcome, that I thought I might as well carry with making the rest of the slices. The base is made out of a mix of nuts and dates and the chocolate topping uses raw cacao powder, this way the dish is completely vegan and gluten and dairy free - as well as being raw and free from refined sugars. The results look pretty good, right?

NB - If you can't get your hands on raw cacao powder, you can use regular cocoa powder but the end result won't be entirely raw due to the way in which the cocoa is produced and it also won't contain as many nutrients.

The small bit of salt added into the caramel will help to bring out the sweetness, counteracting any bitter notes lingering from the tahini. By adding a further pinch of salt on top of these beauties, the chocolate flavour will be enhanced to make them that bit more delicious.


Ingredients:

For the Base:
1/2 cup dates
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
2 tsp vanilla bean paste

For the Caramel:
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Large pinch salt

For the Chocolate Topping:
3 tbsp raw cacao powder
3-4 tbsp coconut sugar or agave syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

Large pinch of course sea salt


To Make:

• Grease a small rectangular brownie dish/baking tray with coconut oil.
• Grind your dates and nuts for the base in a blender or food processor.
• Add the vanilla & blend until it’s sticky. If it’s not that sticky, add in an extra date or 1 tbsp of water.
• With the back of a metal spoon press mixture into the prepared dish.
• Blend the caramel ingredients together and pour over the base.

• Set in the freezer for around 20 minutes.
• While the slice is setting, prepare the chocolate topping by blending the coconut oil and all other ingredients together.
• Pour chocolate topping over the caramel and place back in freezer to set again.
• Once set, sprinkle with a little salt and cut into slices using a warm knife.
• Store in the fridge for a few days.