Okay, before you get started I’m not pretending these are a health food. I do think they’re a much better option that munching on refined sugar filled lollies though and they’re my after dinner (or lunch!) treat and I LOVE THEM. And it’s my birthday so I can eat them all! Right?!
So don’t try an take them away from me. They’re so simple, with a short ingredient list and just a little patience needed – for the chocolate to set!
I’m pretty obsessed with tahini caramel sauce. Mostly because most of the refined sugar free versions of caramel are filled dates and with my fructose issue I’d be better off just eating caramel made from condensed milk (that stuff is soooo good, childhood memories are flooding back!). This is my date free still-better-for-you-than-a-can-of-condensed-milk alternative. And it’s very good. In this recipe it binds with the almond butter to make a sort of chewy nougat that then holds together the roast almonds in delicious little clusters. That then get coated in the dark chocolate. Am I speaking your language yet?
Now on the subject of chocolate. I ALWAYS use dark chocolate. I always have. This isn’t a health thing for me, I mean it is lower in sugar and full of antioxidants but let’s get real broccoli is also low in sugar and full of antioxidants. In comparison to milk or white chocolate a lot of things are. Dark chocolate has been my favourite for as long as I can remember. In a chocolate box I’d always go for the dark chocolate ones. For Christmas and my birthday, I’d always only want dark chocolate things. I don’t even like milk chocolate covered biscuits. Dark chocolate or bust. 80% of the time anyway. It’s just so much more chocolatey and if you’re not eating chocolate for the chocolate flavour what are you doing it for?!
These are my birthday present to myself and I’m pretty happy about it. Almost as happy as I am about my new bathers (another present – click on the link to check out the amazing colour, I’m obsessed!) and going to dinner at Ricky and Pinky tonight.
Celebrate with me and make yourself some chocolates!
Makes 16 (You can just make a half batch)
Ingredients
2/3 cup Almond butter
5 Tbs tahini
4 Tbs maple syrup
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
180g dark chocolate
Directions
Combine tahini and maple syrup in a small pot and bring to the boil. Simmer until thick, tack and golden (3 minutes approx.) add vanilla and stir to combine. In a bowl mix the almond butter and tahini together until well combined. It should be sticking together like dough.
Add the roasted almonds and form the mixture into walnut sized balls, you may need to wet your hands. Refrigerate for 20mins to an hour or freeze for 5-15 minutes. You just want them cold to touch.
Meanwhile, use a double boiler to melt the dark chocolate. Once smooth, remove the almond balls from the fridge/freezer. Use a spoon to dip the almond clusters into the dark chocolate and once well coated remove and place on a rack to set (you might want some baking paper underneath to catch drips (that you can then peal off and eat because CHOCOLATE).
Once set, keep in the fridge. Or just eat them all?
HH. x
