Hybrid Chocolate Caramel Slice with Date Caramel

You know how one photograph can change your whole outlook on life?

That happened to me when I took a photo of some chocolate caramel slice in the cafe the other day for my blipfoto account. First I had to buy some, then I had to make some. The difficulty is the chocolate caramel slice is an incredibly high-octane comestible. Not only is there tons and tons of butter there’s also a complete excess of sugar. Some recipes have a caramel made completely of sweetened condensed milk. Delicious but inordinately rich. So basically, chocolate caramel slice of heaven Which will send your digestive system straight to hell. I know this to my peril: I bought a slice for desert last night and the sugar overload totally meant that I couldn’t sleep properly!

Have you quit sugar? I haven’t but today I thought that I would try for a hybrid Chocolate Caramel Slice. Instead of making a caramel with sugar, I would use wonderfully sticky Medjool dates. They are naturally very caramel-like in flavour and go beautifully with chocolate (if you really can say “I quit sugar” then use sugar free chocolate!). The only task is to transform them from their natural state and to a smooth gooey caramel, and it’s pretty easy!

My hybrid chocolate caramel slice is just that: a true hybrid. It has no added refined sugar, and it is gluten-free, because the base is made from a mixture of ground pecans, coconut, and rice flour. However it’s not guilt free. For a start, dates are extremely high in natural sugars. So there’s still lots of calories there. And then there’s the butter part. There’s quite a few recipes on the web for “raw” chocolate caramel slices which are also made with dates and they include a fair bit of coconut oil. The problem with coconut oil to my mind, is that it tastes so much like coconut. So a mixture of dates and coconut oil might resemble caramel, but it will taste like coconut caramel. Not what I wanted. So, yes, a hybrid. On the one hand nutritionally beneficial dates and no refined sugar, a gluten-free base which includes nuts, and dark chocolate (which is meant to be good for your heart), and on the other hand, butter. Quite a lot of butter. (And of course I have to admit that the chocolate contains refined sugar!).

But in favour of the butter, is the really great flavour that the butter brings! You would almost not know that you are eating something other than the (deliciously) empty calories of a true chocolate caramel slice. At least that’s what I like to think. Better still, this chocolate caramel slice is not overly sweet – a welcome change.

Hybrid Chocolate Caramel Slice

Makes 15 pieces

GF Pecan Coconut Crust

ingredients

100g pecans
100g rice flour
30g fine desiccated coconut
115g unsalted butter
1 tbsp honey

mixing

In a food processor, process the pecans until they are finely ground. Add the rice flour and coconut and process again until well combined. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the dry mixture. Process until fine crumbs start to form. Add the honey, and process until a smooth dough forms.

Line a 20 cm x 20 cm square baking pan with baking paper. Place the dough into the tin, smoothing the top evenly. Bake at 175°C for 20 minutes until the crust is lightly golden brown. Let cool.

While the crust is baking, make the date caramel.

Medjool Date Caramel

ingredients

390g pitted Medjool dates (the stickier the better!)

1 cup water

200g unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 eggs

mixing

Combine the dates and the water in a medium saucepan. Boil for about 10 minutes until the dates are very soft. Transfer the hot dates to the processor and add the butter. Process the dates and butter and for about 15 minutes or until as smooth as possible. And the salt, vanilla and lemon juice, and process again. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve (this is not strictly necessary, but will make the final caramel much smoother). If the mixture has not yet cooled to luke-warm, cool until it is. Transfer the mixture into a medium saucepan, and add the eggs. Whisk well to combine. Place over a low heat, and cook very gently for about five minutes until the mixture has thickened slightly. Do not let the mixture boil. If you have a thermometer, monitor the temperature: the mixture should ideally not increase above 75°C. Cool slightly.

Pour the still warm caramel over the Pecan Coconut Crust, and chill and the refrigerator until the caramel is set. Top with the Chocolate Topping and smooth the surface. Chill until set.

Using a hot knife, cut into 15 pieces.

Chocolate Topping

150g dark chocolate (50% cocoa)
1 tbsp sunflower or canola oil

Melt the chocolate and stir until smooth. Stir in the oil until completely combined.

Enjoy!xxx

(PS – don’t worry, my next post is guaranteed not to be healthful!)

Hybrid Chocolate Caramel Slice with Date Caramel