Kids returning to school? Have these ready for home time

Why not combine an energy boost with friendly fibre? Medjool dates (the slightly larger variety) are considered not only to be one of the sweeteners that we can best cope with, but are also packed with resistant starch, which provides food for the hungry bacteria that help you to balance your blood sugar.

Raw Food Bar with Cocoa, Nuts and Dates

Serves 8-12

Ingredients

For the base
100g almonds, peeled
100g cashew nuts
200g medjool dates, stoned

For the filling
100ml cashew butter
100ml cold-pressed coconut oil
200g medjool dates, stoned

For the topping
4 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil
2 tbsp cocoa

Method

For the base
Coarsely chop the nuts. Blend with the dates. Lay in a baking tin coated with cling film. The base should be around 1.5cm high. Leave in the fridge for 1 hour.

For the filling
Blend the cashew butter, coconut oil and dates to a smooth batter. Remove the baking tin from the refrigerator and spread the filling on top of the base. Place in the freezer and allow to stand for at least 1 hour.

For the topping
Melt the coconut oil and whisk the cocoa into it. Pour over the filling, covering the whole surface. Leave in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove from the freezer and cut into portions. Allow to stand for a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

Extracted from Happy Food by Niklas Ekstedt and Henrik Ennart (Absolute Press, approx €25). Photography © David Loftus.