Date and Peanut Butter Bark

by Lou Robbie

We are huge fans of easy homemade snacks and it doesn’t get easier than this! Just 3 ingredients plus sea salt if you have it! Make it with 100% organic ingredients and it can be vegan too if you like! It takes just 5 minutes to make and a wee while to set. This has been a viral sensation recently and we can see why. It really ticks all the boxes with toffee notes from the dates, creamy peanut butter and glorious chocolate to finish.

We feel its best stored in the freezer, just chop off a chunk as needed. Find all of the best organic ingredients needed in our groceries.

Enjoy this one, as always let us know if you try it.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes enough for 16 big pieces

Method:

  • Step 1: Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Open the dates and lay flat on the parchment paper, make a rectangle shape with them. Lay another piece of parchment paper on top and push down with a rolling pin or glass to flatten.
  • Step 2: Spread the peanut butter all over the dates. Use a pallet knife if you have one.
  • Step 3: Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in the microwave. Pour over the peanut butter and smooth over with a pallet knife. Sprinkle with sea salt if you like.
  • Step 4: Put the tray in the freezer to set for at least 1 hour. Chop the bark into pieces of shards. Store the pieces in a box in the fridge or freezer for 1 week.

Date Caramel – 4 Ingredients

by Lou Robbie

This is our ‘guilt free’ caramel sauce. It’s refined sugar free, dairy free, nut free, gluten free, vegan and so creamy … a lovely treat!

Our organic dates are just amazing, they are full of fibre and antioxidants. They are great for your gut and bone health, a natural sweetener and are so easy to store and cook with. I’m never without them. Having a jar of this date caramel in the fridge is just the best when you want a spoon of natural sweetness added to your overnight oats, creamy porridge, yoghurt, toast/ oat crackers, chocolate milkshake, smoothies or banana nice cream. Try it you and you won’t be disappointed.

We have big and small packets of organic dates as well as medjool dates available in the shop all in compostable packaging.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients – makes 1 jar

Method:

Step 1: Put the dates in a bowl, cover with boiling water to help them soften for 10 minutes. Then stain and discard the water.

Step 2: Add the dates to a blender along with the non dairy milk, vanilla and sea salt. Blend until really smooth. I use a smoothie blender for this, it works a treat.

Step 3: Taste the sauce and add more salt if you wish. Scoop the sauce into a clean jar and store in the fridge for 1 week.

Serving suggestions: Add a spoon to your morning oats, eat on crackers or toast with banana, drizzle over pancakes and waffles or with vanilla ice cream….enjoy!

Sticky Toffee Pudding

by Lou Robbie

The things we do for the people we love! My husband loves a sticky toffee pudding because it is as it claims with the addition of Super Sweet at the beginning!

A dip in the temperature has prompted warm comforting food at home. Serve your sticky pudding warm with cold ice cream on top and drizzle over the warm toffee sauce.

This recipe makes 8 portions so I decided to divide the batter and make 2 puddings. One for November and one for December. Something to look forward to.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients – makes 1 large pudding to serve 8 or 2 smaller puddings serving 4 each

For the toffee sauce

  • 250ml double cream
  • 100g butter
  • 200g light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black treacle

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven 170C. To make one big pudding grease a 1.2 litre ovenproof dish if making 2 puddings grease two 1 litre ovenproof dishes.
  2. Chop the dates and put them into a mixing bowl with the bicarbonate of soda and cover with the boiling water. Set to one side for 15 minutes while you make the batter.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl add the butter and sugar, use an electric mixer or wooden spoon to mix until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the black treacle.
  4. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the batter. Then mix through the milk.
  5. Check on the dates, mash them with a fork then pour the dates and liquid into the cake batter, stir in to combine. Spoon into the prepared dish or dishes.
  6. The big pudding will cook for approximately 45-50 minutes. The smaller puddings will cook in 25-30 minutes.
  7. While the pudding cooks make the toffee sauce. Put the sugar, butter and half the cream in on a low heat in a heavy bottom pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar, this will take about 5 minutes.
  8. When the sugar has dissolved add in the black treacle and turn up the heat to a bubble. Let it bubble for 2-3 minutes.
  9. Take off the heat and stir in the rest of the cream. You should have a nice brown toffee sauce. Transfer into a pouring jug.
  10. When the pudding comes out of the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes then poke it with a skewer and pour over some of the toffee sauce (half the sauce if making a big pudding and quarter each if making 2 smaller puddings)
  11. Serve the pudding warm with ice cream and warm toffee sauce.
  12. You can cover and freeze the second pudding. Just defrost in the fridge overnight, warm through in the oven and serve as above.