Chocolate Almond Squares

Ingredients

• 150 g cocoa nibs, raw or roasted
• 150 g blanched or whole almonds – see 1st tip
• 50 g pitted dried dates (not sugared)
• 100 g dried apricots, unsulphured – see 2nd tip
• 30 g coconut oil, preferably cold pressed (virgin)

Method

1. Grind cocoa nibs 12 sec/speed 10.
2. Add almonds and grind 12 sec/speed 10.
3. Add dates and apricots then mix 30 sec/speed 10.
4. Add coconut oil and mix 15 sec/speed 10. Line a 20 cm square baking tin with baking paper and transfer mixture to lined tin. Press down firmly and evenly then chill at least 30 minutes in fridge or longer until set solid. Cut into 36 small squares (approx. 3×3 cm) and store in a biscuit tin (cookie tin) in fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Janie’s Tips

1. Instead of using the almonds raw, you could soak 150 g almonds for 6-8 hours or overnight in water with a large pinch of sea salt, drain and rinse under running water, then dehydrate them in a dehydrator or very low oven until crisp before using in this recipe. This makes them easier to digest and makes their nutrients more available to be absorbed and used by our bodies.
2. Natural dried apricots are brown in colour. Those that are bright orange in colour have had sulphur dioxide, a type of sulphite, added to them in the drying process. Sulphur dioxide is a chemical preservative and a known allergen, and it’s worth avoiding.
3. Try using different dried fruits, e.g. sultanas (golden raisins) instead of dried apricots.
4. For a nut free square, use sunflower seeds or shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts) instead of almonds.
5. To make these squares raw, use raw cocoa nibs and whole raw almonds.
6. This recipe is gluten free (GF). Please read the labels on your ingredients to ensure they are all gluten free.
7. This recipe is dairy free (DF). Please read the labels on your ingredients to ensure they are all dairy free.
8. This recipe is vegetarian and vegan.