MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Cocoa Nibbles Raw Cookie Bars
Categories: Bars, Cookies
Yield: 8 Servings

1/2 c Raw natural almonds (80 g);
- with skin
1 1/4 c Unsweetened dried dates
- (150 g);
- soft, chopped
2 tb Cocoa powder (30 ml);
- not Dutch process
1 ts Vanilla extract (5 ml)

MMMMM----------------OPTIONAL ADDITIONS------------------------------
6 Fresh mint leaves; chopped
1/4 ts Chili flakes (1 ml);
- up to 1/2 ts (2.5 ml)
1 tb Candied ginger (15 ml);
- chopped
1 tb Raw cacao nibs (15 ml)
2 ts Orange zest (10 ml);
- freshly grated
1/2 ts Ground cinnamon (2.5 ml)
1 ts Instant coffee substitute or
- instant coffee (5 ml);
- up to 2 ts (2.5 ml)

Total time: 20 minutes

In the bowl of a food processor, process the almonds, dates, and cocoa
until you have what looks like a fine meal. There should be no large
pieces of almond visible. Sprinkle with the vanilla and 1 or 2
optional add-ins, if using, and continue to process until the
mixture comes together in a ball that rolls around the walls of the
processor bowl. This may take a while, 5 to 10 minutes or so. Stop
occasionally to scrape the sides of the processor and push the
mixture toward the blades. The "dough" is ready when, if you pinch
some and press it between your thumb and fingers, it sticks
together readily and appears a bit shiny. Sometimes, if the dates
are too dry, this doesn't happen easily. In that case, sprinkle up
to 2 ts or 5 ml of water along with the vanilla, and proceed as
above. The mixture should not be as soft as cookie dough, but more
like clay in texture.

Place a clean piece of plastic wrap on the counter and turn the
mixture onto it. Using your hands, form the mixture into a log about
8" (20 cm) long. Try to compress the mixture as much as possible so
you have a very dense log.

Wrap with plastic and roll the log one or two times, compressing it
more with your hands, to squeeze out any air pockets.

Alternatively, pat the mixture into an 8" or 20 cm loaf pan; press
down as hard as you can to remove any air pockets, then cover with
plastic.

If you have a pressing need for chocolate, you can slice and eat the
nibbles immediately. However, these are much better if they've been
refrigerated first for at least 2 hours or overnight, as they firm up
considerably and will attain an almost fudge-like texture when cold.

Tips:

A food processor is handy for making this recipe super fast, but if
you don't have one, a spice grinder is perfect for grinding the
almonds into a fine meal, and dates can be chopped quickly with a
chef's knife. If you don't have any of those items, it's time to go
shopping! We found that grinding the almonds first made the food
processor segment go much faster.

All testers agreed that cocoa nibbles are tasty treats. The chocolate
addicts felt that adding 1 or 2 more Tbsp of cocoa would be a good
thing, having the added benefit of making the mixture stiffer so the
nibbles would need less time in the fridge and could be eaten sooner.
Yeah!

I felt that there was enough cocoa, but that 1 tb ground chia seeds
might be a good addition. I liked the cinnamon and orange peel
flavoring options that we used.

We used Medjool Dates, which were very soft, and had to be pitted.
Soft pitted deglets are less work, cheaper, and give a firmer result.
Plus they have less calories, sugars and carbs, reducing the glycemic
load considerably. We based the nutrition data on using deglets.

Per serving: 121 cal, 20 g carbs, 15 g sugars, 5 g fat (32% CFF), 1 mg
sodium, 5 g fiber, 3 g protein, very low Cholesterol

Recipe FROM: Sweet Freedom Dessert Cookbook by Ricki Heller

Recipe FROM: <https://web.archive.org/web/20180904185114/
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/
cocoa-nibbles-raw-cookie-bars.php>

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