Recipe: No bake chocolate slice

What more could you need - this slice is delicious, healthy and simple to make. Bonus factor - you don't even have to bake it! It also has added variations to change it up. Yum!

Serves 20

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (160 g) chopped dried pitted dates and/or raisins
1 cup (80 g) desiccated coconut
1 cup (120 g) rolled oats (or use ground almonds for gluten-free)
⅓ cup (30 g) cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp (30 g) butter or coconut oil, softened

CHOCOLATE TOPPING

100 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tbsp olive oil

1.  Line a 20 cm x 25 cm slice tray with baking paper or beeswax wrap. Put the dates and/or raisins in a sieve and slowly pour over 1 cup boiling water to soften. Leave to drain over a bowl while preparing the dry ingredients.

2.  Place the coconut, rolled oats or ground almonds, cocoa and salt in a food processor and blitz for 30 seconds until finely ground.

3.  Add the drained dried fruit, vanilla and butter or coconut oil, and blend for 1 minute until the mixture holds together when pressed.

4.  Tip into the lined tray and press evenly to cover the base.

5.  Place the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl and sit this over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir as the chocolate melts.

6. Pour the melted mixture evenly over the base and return to the fridge for 1 hour, to set.

7.  Cut into 20 squares and store in a container in the fridge. Consume within 1 week.

VARIATIONS
Choc peppermint slice
To the base mixture add ½ teaspoon peppermint essence.

Mayan spiced slice
To the base mixture add the zest of 1 orange, 1 teaspoon mixed spice and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Recipes extracted from The Homemade Table: Seasonal Recipes, Preserves and Sourdough by Nicola Galloway, published by Potton & Burton, RRP: $59.99.