raw bounty bar …

This simple recipe comes from the August 2014 edition of Woman’s Day. I was flicking through the magazine, at the doctor’s, and saw the recipe. It looked interesting so, instead of ripping the page out (like you used to do in the past – not that I ever did that!), I took a photo of the recipe.

These slices are a raw version of the bounty bars – a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars, Incorporated.

Ingredients – sugar, desiccated coconut, glucose syrup (sources include wheat), milk solids, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, invert sugar, vegetable fat, emulsifiers (471, soy lecithin), humectant (glycerol), salt, natural flavour (vanilla extract) and peanuts. Mmm …. healthy – not!

Ingredients
Crust
1 and 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 cup fresh pitted dates *
1 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons light agave syrup or rice malt syrup
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds

Filling
1 cup soaked cashews **
3 cups shredded coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup light agave syrup

Topping
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup light agave syrup

* Soak the pitted dates in warm water for 10 minutes then drain before adding to the food processor.

** Cover cashews with water, soak 2 hours and drain well before use. This creates a soft creamy texture for the filling.

Method
Crust
1) Lightly grease and line a 20cm square pan with baking paper.
2) In a food processor, combine coconut, almond meal, dates, syrup, cacao and chia together. I used maple syrup instead of the agave syrup.

Note: Because I was reading the recipe off my phone, I left out the cacao! Oops!

3) Process until mixtures forms a sticky crumbly dough.

4) Press mixture evenly and firmly over base of pan.

5) Chill until required.

Filling
1) In a food processor, combine all ingredients, pulsing until well chopped and mixture binds together.

2) Spread evenly over base, pressing down with a fork.

Topping
1) In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Whisk together until smooth.

2) Pour over slice. Spread evenly over surface.

3) Chill 30 minutes until set.

Just like a bounty bar only healthier! Guilt free too! Enjoy :)

“You can’t eat coconut without breaking its shell; you can’t succeed without breaking the cycle of failure.” ~ Vinita Kinra