It’s crazy to think how much has changed in the food world in the last twenty years. I might be showing my age here, but it was back then that I first started working as a chef. I’d wake up thinking about food, cook all day and go to sleep dreaming about food some more, not much has changed on that front, but what I cook these days has. In the early 2000’s my days were surrounded by white flour, caster sugar and butter as I cooked in professional kitchens and while I still love to cook with those ingredients from time to time (albeit gluten-free and unrefined versions), I’m a real sucker for a little raw-ish treat too, something which twenty years ago was really only known among the hippy circles I gravitated towards.
The ‘raw caramel slice’ has been done a thousand times over, but still it’s among my favourites of all the sweet raw treats. I have this thing for little individual treats so I’ve made these into bite-sized cups, but should you not have the time or the inclination it’s super straightforward to make into a slice instead.
I’ve been using the Vitamix Ascent Blending Bowl a lot lately as it’s perfect for making small amounts of things that mightn’t contain enough bulk to warrant using the full-size Vitamix container; things like pesto, dressings, curry paste and this date caramel. Each bowl holds 225ml and I love that you get the power of a Vitamix, with the flexibility of a smaller bowl. It’s super easy to clean up after too, which is always an added bonus!
Each Vitamix Ascent Series high-performance blender features Variable Speed Control, Pulse, SELF-DETECT™ and Interlock Technologies (meaning you can’t make the MESSY mistake of blending without the lid on, which I’ve done in the past!) and a built in timer. The Vitamix Ascent Series lets you build your own personalised blending system by offering a range of compatible container sizes, either the 225ml Blending Bowl which I’ve used here, or the 600ml Blending Cup we often use for single-serve smoothies. The Ascent also recognises the different containers and automatically adjusts blend settings for their size.
No-bake dark chocolate caramel cups
Ingredients
Coconut base
- 1 1/2 cups shredded or desiccated coconut
- 3/4 cup pitted dates soaked in hot water 20 minutes, then drained
Date caramel
- 1 cup pitted dates soaked in hot water 20 minutes, then drained well
- 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil melted
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon hulled tahini or nut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Chocolate topping
- 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil melted
- 3 tablespoons raw cacao powder sifted
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the base ingredients in the Vitamix Container and blend until finely chopped and sticky, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice to assist with blending if needed. Press this mixture into the base and sides of 12 x (3 tablespoon capacity) silicone muffin molds or paper cases. Pop into the fridge until needed.
- Combine date caramel ingredients in the Vitamix Blending Bowl and blend on low until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice to assist with blending if needed. Evenly divide this mixture between the lined moulds, smoothing off the tops as best as you can.
- Combine chocolate topping ingredients in a bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water and stir until combined and smooth. Evenly divide between the lined moulds to cover the tops of each ‘cup’. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight to set before serving.
- To serve, remove from the silicone moulds.They will store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, although it’s unlikely they’ll last that long!
2 Responses
Looks wonderful Emma! I am planning on making these at Christmas. Thank you x
Thank you! Enjoy x