Love Slice

I’m not hugely into Valentine’s Day but when I realised I would be away on a girls training weekend, my wife-guilt started to kick in a little. Just a little mind you. So what better way for me to show love than through food (I know, a million other ways but that’s where I always seem to start) — and just between you and me — I mostly wanted to make a sweet treat for the girls who I would be training hard with all weekend. Hubby was wise to my plan so I pushed the boat out a bit more and cut his share into romantic heart shapes and wrapped them in a nice box to leave in the fridge. He totally forgot they were there … and that’s why I usually don’t bother.

MAKES 12-24

I cut some into heart shapes for hubby — got to eat all the scraps — winning!

Ingredients

base

1 cup dates
1 cup raw almonds
3 tablespoons cocoa (or cocao)
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
2 tablespoons almond butter
2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or extract)
pinch of flakey salt
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed
1/4 cup cocoa butter, melted
15 grams freeze dried strawberries (1/2 packet of Fresh-as)

topping

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup cocoa butter
2 tablespoons raw honey
1/3 cup cocoa (or cocao)
pinch of flakey salt
15 grams freeze dried strawberries (1/2 packet), slightly crushed
1 tablespoon of cocoa nibs

Method

Grease or line a tin or shallow dish with paper (18 x 18cm or thereabouts).

For the base, put the dates into a small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Put the remaining base ingredients into a food processor and blend until crumbly. Drain the dates and slowly add to the food processor. Blend until the mixture looks as though it’s starting to stick together.

Press the mixture into the tin with the back of a spoon and smooth over then, pop it into the fridge.

For the topping put the coconut oil, cocoa butter and honey into a small pan and heat gently until all the ingredients start to soften — not fully melted (half melted is ok). Pour into a bowl and whisk in the cocoa until silky. Pour the mixture evenly over the base and sprinkle with the salt, strawberries and cocoa nibs.

Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Remove from the tin and slice into 12-24 pieces – store in the fridge. Share with the ones you love!