Every now and then you need something totally over-the-top decadent, don’t you think? The long weekend was the perfect excuse for this rich Raw Pistachio Salted Caramel Slice. The addition of peanuts lends a bit of a Snickers feel.
The long weekend saw me asking myself this: in what ways am I nourishing myself outside the realm of nutritious food? I find it important to check in on myself in this way every so often as I tend to forget to stop and smell the roses.
Can anyone relate? And so, the weekend unfolded in the most pleasant way possible: a lazy sleep in, breakfast AND a massage with my love (so grateful), a scenic drive around the city grooving in the car to soulful music with no particular destination, a clean house, the purchase of a new vanilla candle to light in the mornings while I have my cup of tea (bliss!), and the clearing out of the garage (phew!) – sorting old clothes and shoes in a pile, ready to be taken to the charity shop.
The slowness and the de-cluttering has been so fabulous! It almost feels like a bit of a re-set.
Now, being in the kitchen is also a form of relaxation for me as I love the alchemy involved in pulling new flavours together. So, today’s recipe is a totally indulgent sweet slice that seemed the only logical thing to make over a long weekend.
[bctt tweet="Raw Pistachio Salted Caramel Slice - find it here!" username="laurenglucina"]
I ended up making a nougat-like base using almond meal, vanilla extract and a little organic rice malt syrup to bind. My answer to the caramel was a lush mixture of sweet Medjool dates with lemon, sea salt, and the key ingredient – pistachio nuts!
A bit of homemade raw chocolate drizzle over the top and they were complete. Mission accomplished.
Reasons to love them:
- They’re a whole foods answer to your conventional chocolate/candy bar – which are typically packed full of refined flours, additives, preservatives and other commercial nasties
- They’re a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats
- They’re a good source of vitamin B6 from the pistachio nuts (B6 is a nutrient required for the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA, which help regulate stress and anxiety)
- They provide potent antioxidants from the raw cacao powder (if using a raw chocolate as your drizzle)
- The dates provide fibre and some minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese and copper
- They taste amazing!
Full disclosure: these are a tad messy (when is caramel ever not messy though?), and very rich. I found that a very small serving was enough to satisfy.
That’s all friends, I hope you enjoy the recipe!
📖Recipe
Raw Pistachio Salted Caramel Slice
To fill an 8inch square baking tin.
Yields 16-32 slices depending on how small you cut them (they are quite rich - I tend to cut into 32).
Ingredients
BASE:
- 3 cups almond meal
- ¼ cup organic rice malt syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Few good pinches of coarse sea salt
CARAMEL:
- 2 cups pistachios shelled
- ¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 12 Medjool dates pitted (approx. 180g) – soaked in hot water for 5 mins to soften
EXTRAS:
- 1 cup peanuts
- Extra sea salt
- Batch of homemade raw chocolate to drizzle or melt down a dark, store bought choc
Instructions
- Line an 8inch square cake tin with baking paper.
- To make the base, pulse all ingredients in a food processor till combined. Press into the cake tin and smooth out the surface. Place in freezer.
- To make the caramel, blend the pistachios till they become a fine flour or even a butter, then transfer to a food processor. Add all other ingredients including the soaked and drained dates, and pulse till combined.
- The resulting caramel will be VERY thick. Fantastic. Spread roughly over the base, then place a layer of plastic wrap/baking paper over the top and use your palm to even out the surface. Once done, scatter the peanuts over the top and press into the caramel. Add a few sprinkles of sea salt, then set in the freezer.
- Once caramel slice has set, remove and cut into small bars. Use a teaspoon to drizzle homemade raw chocolate (or store bought) over the top and serve. Keep in fridge.
Notes
- Estimated nutrition facts are based on 16 large slices, however they are rich and I typically get 32 out of a recipe. I chose 16 as this reflects the photography (much easier to style a slightly larger slice!).
Nutrition
If you make and enjoy this recipe, please leave a rating!
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