Chocolate caramels (with a secret ingredient!) – GF,DF,EF, plant-based

 

Because cacao butter is raw, it retains its nutrients and enzymes more so than what typically ends up in
the chocolates we buy at the shops, which means you get antioxidants, healthy fats, and benefits such as youthful skin, assistance with mood, improved immunity, decreased inflammation, and it even improves metabolism and digestion!

Even maple syrup has bonuses such as riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium and potassium. It is a sugar so moderation needs to be put into practice (and it can be left out of this recipe), but it is considered better than white sugar.

Ingredients

10 medjool dates
1/2 cup cacao (or cocoa) powder
1 cup chopped cocao butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
Pinch of salt (optional)

Method

  1. Place a sheet of baking paper on a large flat tray or plate 
  2. Remove the pits from the dates.
  3. In a medium saucepan, bring water (about 5 centimetres deep) to the boil. Place a medium sized bowl on top, ensuring the water does not touch the bottom of the glass bowl 
  4. Add the cocao butter to the bowl, stirring gently until it melts
  5. Pour in the maple syrup and combine
  6. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the cacao powder, vanilla extract and salt and mix until well combined and smooth
  7. Place a date into the chocolate and dip until it is well covered. Scoop it out with a small fork, steadying it with another small fork, gently shake off any excess chocolate, and place it on the tray or plate. Continue with all the dates. Stir the chocolate mixture from time to time so that it remains well combined and smooth
  8. Put the chocolate covered dates into the fridge, ensuring the tray remains straight
  9. When the chocolate is set, remove from the fridge and repeat step 8 (you can skip this step if you prefer a thin layer of chocolate)
  10. Return to the fridge until set
  11. Store the dates in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer

*The dates are very sweet so you may decide to not add maple syrup. 
*You could use dried Deglet Noor dates, which are cheaper and have less sugar. They are firmer and not as gooey or sweet as medjool dates. You could try soaking them for an hour or two and draining off the excess water before dipping them into the chocolate.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Happy date-dunking!