Chocolate Coffee Caramel Bars

Wow and holy crap are my describing words for this dessert. Try it and you will love it, I promise.

PREP: 15 minutes

Freeze time: 10 - 15 mins

Total: 25 – 30 minutes

Serves: 3 - 4 

INGREDIENTS 

For the crust

12 dried dates (or figs, if you prefer, stems removed)

1/2 cup almond butter

1/4 cup Unsweetended Shredded Coconut

2 tablespoons Raw Honey

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt 

For the caramel

12-14 dates, pitted

5-6 tablespoons canned coconut milk

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

 For the topping

1 cup dark chocolate (I used dark chocolate chips), melted

1/4 cup canned coconut milk

2 teaspoons ground coffee

coarse sea salt, to top

DIRECTIONS

Layer one: Crust

First make your crust. Add all of your crust ingredients into a food processor and mix until well combined

Add the crust mixture to a bread pan and push down until the mixture is flat

Add your dates and pulse until dates are broken down (less than a minute)

Add your coconut milk tablespoon by tablespoon, along with the water, to the dates while the food processor is still running

Add your vanilla extract and pinch of salt

Process until you get a caramel. May take 3-5 minutes, Tops

Pour caramel over your crust and spread evenly 

Adding the Caramel

Layer 2: Caramel

Now, melt your chocolate. You could do this in a double boiler or just the microwave. I chose the easier route

Melt the chocolate and coconut milk together in the microwave. Heat for 30 seconds then mix well and reheat when necessary

Once your chocolate is completely melted, add your ground coffee and mix well

Pour melted chocolate over your caramel and spread evenly

Add coarse sea salt on top of the chocolate

Put in the freezer so the chocolate hardens -at least 10 minutes

Adding the Chocolate!

Final Layer!

EAT!

Enjoy!

-All the Best

Homemade Chocolate Chip Brownie Larabars

We were introduced to the LARABAR several months ago by a couple of friends. The very first one we ever got to try was the Banana Bread LARABAR. Holy cow- it was good. I decided I would venture out and find these so called healthy "energy" bars. I was disappointed to find they were almost $2.00 (US dollars)/bar. I don't know if you have ever seen a LARABAR- but they are small. The first few I bought were totally worth it- they are so damn good. After shelling out around $10 bucks for like 5 bars on several occasions, I decided I couldn't afford it. I looked at the label and realized just how easy it would be to make my own. 

I went out and bought a larger (i think 9 or 10 cup) food processor just for this reason. 

I gave a couple homemade bars to a couple (non-Paleo) co-workers to try and they loved them. They said they taste like Snickers and wanted more.

PREP: 20 minutes

Cool time: 10+ minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Makes about 30 1 1/2 inch x 2 inch squares

INGREDIENTS 

4 cups hole pitted dates

2 cups raw or toasted cashews
2 TBS almond butter

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Line a 9-inch x 13-inch straight sided pan with a piece of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the long edges. Set aside

Fit a food processor with a metal blade and add the almonds to the processor and pulse until they are uniformly finely chopped (think fresh bread crumb texture.)

About to get pressed in the pan

Add the chocolate chips and pulse again until the chocolate chips are also finely chopped

Pour the chocolatey nuts into a large mixing bowl and set aside

Add half of the dates to the food processor and process until a paste forms and clumps together 

Open the food processor and add in 1 tablespoon of the nut butter and half of the chocolatey ground nuts

Replace the lid and process until evenly combined. Scrape into the prepared pan

Repeat with the remaining dates, chocolatey nuts and nut butter

Ready for the fridge!

When all of the ingredients have been processed, press the mixture as evenly over the bottom of the pan as possible (try wetting your hands before pressing to prevent the mixture from sticking to you)

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing- OR for a quick fix- put in the freezer for around 10 minutes or until firm.

Store in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container

Note: An unrefrigerated bar will be good for 48 hours, covered, at room temperature

Enjoy!

-All the Best