Raw Chocolate Caramel Slice

19 June 2013 | 5 comments

Q. How many Raw Chocolate Caramel Slices can a man eat in one day?

A. 9 (of those I saw, but there could in fact be more).

This is the sister slice to my raw peppermint slice recipe, on special request of my partner. I hands down prefer the dark chocolate and creamy mint and vanilla version, but piggy here prefers this salty, crunchy, caramel rendition. I wanted to take a picture of him holding the slice because he has quite spunky hands, but he got all hangry and impatient and just wanted to scuttle off to scoff the slice! So there you go, it must be ok.

Now, your traditional caramel slice is made with less than ideal ingredients – white flour, refined sugar, butter, golden syrup, sweetened condensed milk and cooking chocolate being the usual suspects. As with all my recipes, I have stripped out all the bad guys and chosen entirely plant based, whole food ingredients. The end result is utterly delicious – and a far healthier alternative.

*Just as a wee update to this post – this has become one of my most popular recipes. It has been re-created and shared countless times over on instagram (find me @ascenionkitchen) – so if you try this for yourself then please tag me so I can bow in awe at your sweet masterpiece!* 

I’m sure you will be more than familiar with all the ingredients in this slice, perhaps with the exception of lecithin. Lecithin is a type of lipid found in animal and plant sources, that helps emulsify (blend) water with fats. You can also buy it as stand-alone ingredient. Soy lecithin is the most common, but if you are concerned about GMO’s and can’t source an organic brand, you can substitute for sunflower lecithin instead. Lecithin is widely used as a food additive, and is quite a common ingredient in raw foods ‘cooking’ and chocolate making, as it makes for some deliciously creamy cashew based fillings and icings. You can even add a little to raw nut milks to stop the ingredients separating. 

Lecithin is the primary source of choline, a water-soluble B-group vitamin. They both play a crucial role in facilitating the transport of nutrients across each of our cell walls. 

Good dietary sources of choline are egg yolks, grass-fed beef, milk and butter, and plant-based sources include broccoli, oats, lecithin (soy or sunflower), soybeans, lentils and cauliflower.

I’m sure you will have no trouble finding either soy or sunflower lecithin at your local health shop or natural foods store. You can still make the slice without it – although it may soften and lose its shape quicker at room temperature.

Enjoy the slice!

Raw Chocolate Caramel Slice

RAW • VEGAN • REFINED SUGAR FREE

| Makes 32 slices |

Biscuit layer:

• 1 cup roughly processed buckwheat flour*
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• 15 Medjool dates
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon flakey sea salt

METHOD:

1. Blitz the buckwheat flour, coconut and salt in the food processor till the mix is nice and crumbly.
2. Add the coconut oil, then the Medjool dates, one by one.
3. You should end up with a doughy texture that will hold together nicely when pressed together.
4. Line a 9 inch square baking tin with baking paper.
5. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the tin.
6. Freeze to set.

*To make buckwheat flour, simply blend buckwheat groats in a high powered blender. Try not to over blend, so that there are still a few chunks in there. This will give it a nice biscuit texture.

Caramel:

• 1 heaped cup macadamia nuts, soaked
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup raw cashew butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla paste
• 1 tablespoon soy or sunflower lecithin
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt

METHOD:

1. First soften the raw cashew butter by resting the jar in a bath of hot water.
2. Blend all ingredients except the lecithin till nice and creamy.
3. Add the lecithin last which will help the mixture thicken.
4. Spread evenly over the biscuit layer and pop in the freezer while you make the topping.
5. Lick the spatula. This step is compulsory.

Chocolate layer:

• ½ cup raw cashew butter
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup raw cacao powder
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• Pinch of flakey sea salt

METHOD:

1. First, soften the raw cashew butter.
2. Blend everything well till nice and creamy.
3. Spread the chocolate topping over the caramel layer, which should have hardened a little, and set in the freezer.
4. Cut the slice into 32 equal rectangles and serve.
5. Best kept in the fridge or freezer.

I’d love you to follow me on Instagram, 
tag me @ascensionkitchen so I can see your creations!