Raw Date Bars

Tis the morning before Thanksgiving Day, a cool, calm, sunny morning. I knew I wanted to make something sweet for the holiday to share, but I needed to clear my mind and get some fresh air first. After a nice brisk walk down to the creek that runs into the river, I came home to practice my fiddle and make a sweet treat for thanksgiving dessert – raw date bars.

These raw date bars are full of flavor and with the help of the sticky, sweet dates no added sugars are needed in the mix! I like to use peanut butter and peanuts in my bars, because I find it goes perfectly with the dark chocolate. You are welcome to use any kind of nut butter or nut that you prefer! Make these the day ahead and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. They are the perfect end to a meal that leaves your sweet tooth satisfied without any sin.

You Will Need:

• 2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts ( I dry roasted mine on the stove myself for more flavor)
• 1 1/2 cups of dates, pitted
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• sprinkle of salt
• about 2 cups of dark melting chocolate (unmelted)
• 2 tsp. coconut oil
• salt to top

Preparation:

Place your peanuts, dates, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are still slightly chunky. The mixture should be a little pliable and sticky (add dashes of warm water until the correct consistency is achieved.)

In a square cake pan, line with parchment paper. Dump the mixture onto the parchment and press down evenly into the shape of the pan. If the mixture sticks to your fingers, wet your fingers first with warm water.

Place the cake pan into the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes until set.

Heat chocolate and coconut oil over the stove on low until melted. Pour the chocolate over the cooled date mixture and spread evenly.

Decorate with additional peanuts and coarse salt. Place back into the fridge until the chocolate is set.

Cut into small squares, be sure to cover and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. The bars will get soft and fall apart if you don’t.