You might have noticed I’ve had a bit of recipe hiatus; I partly blame not being in my own home for most of this year (due to a house reno/rebuild) and life has just gone down another path recently. I did, however, make this Raw Chocolate Peppermint Slice for my beautiful women’s circle and got asked for the recipe, so have been inspired to write it down.

I love the chocolate and mint flavours, this is the perfect after-dinner treat or would be a nice addition for a birthday or even Christmas.

Note: there is a little bit of nut soaking prior to this recipe so just prepare a little before (1 hour) for this recipe.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup of raw cashews
• ¾ cup of raw cacao
• ¾ cup of dates (Medjool or other)
• ½ cup of coconut oil
• 50gms of cacao butter (optional)
• 15 drops of 100% pure peppermint essential oil (I use Doterra)
• ½ cup of chopped roasted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts or brazil nuts)

PROCEDURE:

1. Prepare a loaf tin but lining the bottom greaseproof paper. I recommend cutting the paper to the inside length of the tin and allowing the paper to fall over the sides so can lift the slice out when it is set (see image)
2. Cover cashews with warm water and soak for at least an hour
3. Pour boiling water over the dates and allow them to soak for 5 – 10 minutes
4. Add dates and cashews to the food processor and blend until smooth
5. Add cacao powder, melted coconut oil and melted cacao butter and blend.
6. Finally, add the drops of peppermint oil and pulse till smooth.
7. Press the mixture into the loaf tin, smooth the top with a spatula.
8. Press the nuts into the top
9. Place in the freezer for an hour or into the fridge for a couple of hours.
10. The slice can be served directly from the freezer or the fridge.
11. Remove from tin and slice into thin fingers for serve.

Enjoy!