I am and have always been a bit of an average baker. I couldn’t tell you why, my baking endeavours just never seem to work out as well as I always hope. That being said, I have found myself a loophole to this awkward burden of mine: raw baking. Since trying to cut down on refined sugars and dairy, baking became somewhat of a difficult thing to do without having things in the cupboard like xanthum gum or flaxseeds, both of which were almost never just in my cupboard when I wanted to bake something. Moreover, I found that baking without eggs and butter was somewhat of a farse at first because the cakes never rose and texture was so dense. I resulted in a lot of polite faces when people would try my food. As a result, I basically only baked banana bread for ages because every baking attempt I made was always disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, banana bread is fantastic, but when pancakes become a difficulty for me it began to get a little ridiculous.
I digress! Raw food has shown me the light of “baking” and I have officially curated my FIRST recipe, made completely from scratch. Typically I would make a recipe from the skeleton of one or several similar recipes that I found online for inspiration, but not this one! This Chocolate Tahini Slice is my very own creation and I am THRILLED how it has turned out. Much like my previous post DF Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge and the secret pumpkin, I wasn’t originally the biggest fan of the central ingredient of this recipe: tahini. I frankly thought it tasted like dirt and couldn’t believe it was so popular online. However, I have since made several recipes using tahini after seeing a creamy vegan pasta recipe by Sarah’s Day and my mind has been changed. Although, admittedly having said that, I still have to use copious amounts of lemon or something sweet to cover the earthy taste of tahini.
So, what is tahini? It’s essentially a sesame seed version of nut butter, I guess. It’s used in familiar foods like hummus and caters for those who aren’t huge peanut butter fans. Although I was rather rude about the taste, it is inherently less sweet than other butters and is slightly more bitter. It is widely used in dips, dressings and hidden in desserts like my own. I’ll pop some redeeming factors in a list below before quickly getting to the good stuff, the recipe!
- Great in salad dressings, sauces and even on toast.
- High in healthy fats, so super great for heart health.
- Packed with vitamins, high in calcium, zinc (up to 12% of your daily intake) and magnesium (great for women’s health!)
- Supports cognitive brain function.
- High in antioxidants, particularly assistance with reducing inflammation.
- A great detoxifying ingredient! Tahini contains compounds that help regulate kidney and liver function.
Better yet, this slice is actually packed with protein. The crust has protein powder, nuts and aramanth puffs in which also provide loads of healthy fats, fibre and protein to get you through the day. Therefore, this recipe is the perfect belly-filler.
INGREDIENTS
THE CRUST
- 1/4 cup dates, soaked
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1/2 cup almond meal (could use nut-free substitute)
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup amaranth puffs
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp brown rice malt syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt
THE FILLING & TOP LAYER
- 1/2 cup dates, soaked
- 1 heaped tbsp tahini
- 1/4 cup brown rice malt syrup
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (the thick stuff of the top of the can)
- 125g dark chocolate, chopped and melted
- Cacao nibs and sliced almonds, for topping
METHOD
- To make the crust, blend together the dates, coconut oil, brown rice malt syrup and protein powder until smooth. In a separate bowl add the oat flour, amaranth puffs, salt and cinnamon. Combine the wet ingredients with dry until you can form a ball in your hands.
- Line a rectangular pan with baking paper and place the crust mixture in the pan, flattening it with your fist. Place in the fridge while you make the caramel.
- For the caramel, blend the dates, tahini, rice syrup and coconut oil until smooth. Remove the mixture from the blender and add to a bowl. Using a spoon, slowly add the coconut cream to the mixture, folding it in slowly to incorporate it in without melting it too much. If you have a slightly looser coconut cream and it isn’t that thick, add a little protein powder to the mixture to thicken it.
- Once all of the coconut cream is incorporated, take the crust out of the fridge and pour the caramel on top. Place in the fridge for up to an hour before adding the melted chocolate.
- Melt the chocolate with a little coconut oil to make the cutting process easier once the slice is complete.
- Once the caramel is set slightly, add the melted chocolate and leave in the fridge for the chocolate to set. This will take up to a couple of hours. You can add any toppings you like at this point. I used cacao nibs and chopped almonds.
- If you want a clean cut for your slices, use a hot knife and turn the slice over so that the crust is facing upwards. This will ensure that your chocolate layer doesn’t crack and your caramel doesn’t seep everywhere as you try to cut it!
Don’t eat them all at once! They lasted less than a couple of days in my house which is always a good sign, so if you want to keep them for yourself I suggest you hide them!
Little City Window 