GOOEY CARAMEL CHOCOLATE BARS with BUCKWHEAT


Last night I dreamt I was in Hawaii (albeit my unconscious mind's own version) on a boardwalk in the ocean. I found a forest of wild fruit and was so overjoyed I started crying and fell over. There was papaya, mango, orange, pear, grapefruit and more. Good dream.

Now I just wanna look at postings for places to rent in Hawaii on craigslist. Sigh.

I can't really complain though. Here in the pacific northwest we have our own edible, sweet goodies: apples, berries, plums, peaches, grapes, pears, melons, kiwi(!?), and drum roll please... *HEIRLOOM TOMATOES*. I admit I get hung up on the grass on the other side of the fence, but the eatable plant scene in BC is nothing to be sad about. This summer I am planning on foraging my ass off in the urban landscape. I watched a documentary called Fruit Hunters (recommended by a reader!) awhile ago and it got me so pumped about searching for edible plants in my own city. I got into city fruit foraging at the very end of summer last year so I could only go out one time; but it was dreamy. I found figs, prunes and kousa dogwood tree berries. I used fallingfruit.org to find everything.

It's definitely an addicting hobby (or I am just strange) because I get thrilled when I think about getting out on my bike again, with a backpack and a map showing where all the spots are I can find wild edible plants. And I mean, this is just in the CITY, when I imagine being in the north (way rural) or going to a tropical region, my heart starts skipping beats.

Now switching to a totally unrelated topic, this recipe! Yeah. None of the ingredients are locally foraged. Mais c'est la vie, non? That doesn't change the fact that they taste like a raw vegan caramel chocolate orgy in your mouth. You might ask: but how would you know what that tastes like!? I know because I have experienced it. With these bars. Improve your day / life and make them now! They only take a few minutes to make, then you just gotta freeze 'em til they get nice gooey and sticky and cold... aaaaand the final step: annihilate with your mouth. Awesome facts about da barz: they are no-bake, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free (if ya want), coconut-free, and refined, processed crap-free.

Jack is more eloquent that I am and he says: "These melt in your mouth bars are very rich in flavour and can pacify anyone's ever-craving sweet tooth."

So there you have it. These are peace-loving chocolate bars. WUT IS THERE NOT 2 LUV?


 GOOEY CARAMEL CHOCOLATE BARS with BUCKWHEAT

Crust:
1 cup buckwheat groats
1 cup dates
1/4 cup water

Caramel:
1 1/2 cups dates
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Chocolate:
1 1/2 cups dates
1 heaping tablespoon cacao powder
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup water

Add ons:
Sea salt
Sesame seeds

To make the crust: soak the buckwheat groats in water for 30 minutes, then rinse and dehydrate until they are dry again. I threw mine in the oven at 150 degrees for 2 hours. Then grind the dried buckwheat into flour in a food processor or blender. Add the dates, then add water as needed until you get a dough mixture that holds its shape when you press it together (in other words: not too crumbly). Press into the bottom of a lined 9X9 baking pan and put in the fridge.

To make the caramel: blend all the ingredients until smooth, adding water as needed until you get a very thick yogurt consistency that holds its shape. Spread evenly onto your crust and put in the freezer.

To make the chocolate layer: follow the same instructions as for the caramel layer, and spread on top of the caramel. Sprinkle on a little sea salt if desired (do it.) then leave in the freezer for at least 4 hours or until they have hardened up. Gently slice and serve with some sesame seeds on top.

ADAPTIONS: use tahini instead of almond butter to make them nut-free, use vanilla powder instead of vanilla extract, use rolled oats instead of buckwheat groats, use carob or cocoa powder instead of cacao powder.

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