Choco-Caramelicious Patties
I was inspired by the "homemade yolos" in Angela Liddon's Oh She Glows cookbook and on her blog, here. That started me on a journey that also led me to Meghan Telpher's homemade chocolate turtles. After playing around, the recipe I settled on for the "caramel" is almost the same as Meghan Telpher's. And, I used her instructions for making the homemade chocolate coating. So, with thanks for the inspiration and information, let's see how I made these treats.
Ingredients
Caramelicious Filling
- 4-1/2 ounces pitted Medjool dates (about 6–8, spending on size)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Homemade Chocolate with Coconut Oil
- 1/3 cup cacao powder (not cocoa powder)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
Optional for Topping
- Sea salt for sprinkling
How To Make This Recipe
Caramelicious Filling
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Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a heavy-duty food processor or blender. (See Notes.) Process until smooth.
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Place the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper and roll and shape into a log about eight to ten inches long. Secure the ends of the paper with twist ties and place in the freezer.
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While the caramelicious filling is chilling, prepare the homemade chocolate. Or, melt about 100 grams of the chocolate of your choice. I'd recommend a dark, bittersweet chocolate.
Homemade Chocolate with Coconut Oil
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Put the three ingredients in a heatproof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Once the coconut oil starts to melt, stir until everything is smoothly mixed together.
Assembling the Choco-Caramelicious Patties
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You can shape these treats however you like, but I found it less fussy to make patties instead of rolling balls and dipping them in chocolate.
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For patties, you can use silicone moulds or a small tart or muffin tray. I haven't tried making these in petit fours liners, but I think that might work although I wonder about the paper sticking. Let me know if you've tried it. I used a small metal tart tray for the patties pictured in this post.
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Lightly coat the tart cups with coconut oil. Spoon about a half tablespoon of the chocolate mixture onto the tart cup bottoms and set the tray in the freezer until the chocolate has set. This should happen in about ten minutes.
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Remove the caramelicous filling "log" from the freezer and cut into 12 sections. If necessary flatten and shape each piece into a patty that fills most of the tart cup without touching the sides or extending over the top if your trays are shallow. Set atop the chocolate bottom. (If you have too much filling, roll the excess and dip into any leftover chocolate and chill.)
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Spoon the remaining chocolate over the filling, ensuring its flows around the sides and covers the top of the caramel. Place the tray back in the freezer until the chocolate has hardened, at least half an hour. Then insert a knife at the edge to pop out the patties. You can sprinkle with a bit of sea salt now or just before serving. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer.
Recipe Notes
- The Medjool dates that I use are large, soft and luscious. If yours are dry you may need to soak them in warm water for a few minutes to plump them up. I've also made this recipe with almond butter, with delicious results.
- To make this recipe vegan, just substitute a different sweetener for the honey, such as maple syrup or agave or coconut nectar.
- I suggest using heavy-duty equipment because I tried a few appliances that simply couldn't handle the load of the dates.