A scrummy little snack, perfect for on the go. With lots of healthy fats, fibre and protein, these are a great alternative to your afternoon chocolate bar!
Ingredients (makes about 20 small bars):
- 125g pistachio nuts
- 100g salted, roasted almonds, cashews or hazelnuts (you can roast these yourself by heating in a spoonful of coconut oil at 150C fan for about 15 minutes, until golden but not burnt)
- 275g soft dried dates, stones removed
- 125g porridge oats
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 150g dark chocolate (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 4. Line a 20cm square cake tin with kitchen parchment. Put the pistachios, nuts and dates in a food processor and whizz to a thick paste. Stir in the oats.
Heat the vanilla extract, honey and tahini in a small pan over a medium heat. As soon as you see bubbles forming, stir into the date and nut mixture. Spoon into the lined cake tin, smooth the surface, pushing down firmly, but not so hard you compact the mixture. Sprinkle the surface with sesame seeds. Bake for 20 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the tin.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a heatproof mixing bowl balanced over a pan of simmering water.
Lift the block of sesame biscuits out of the tin and cut into 18 short rectangles. If you want to add the chocolate, dip each slice into the melted chocolate, covering half the biscuit. Lay each on a piece of baking paper and scatter more sesame seeds over the top, then let the chocolate set. If the room is warm, then you might want to chill them briefly in the fridge.
