These are my favourite snack to have in if I want something sweet but don't want to reach for the chocolate! 

A great balance of sweet dried fruits and nuts, these taste almost identical to a certain stripped down sounding brand which retail at over £1 per tiny bar! You can make a whole batch of these for a couple of pounds and they will keep in the fridge for a good week in an airtight glass jar. 

It is also a good way to use up odds and ends. Anything works, whatever dried fruits and nuts you have in. If you want the Bakewell flavour, this particular mix tastes just like those famous little Bakewell bars. Without the needs for piles of icing and pastry. I do dried cherries in mine as a nod to the classic Bakewell tart. 

Ingredients: 250g Pitted Dates, 150g Cashews, 60g Pecans, 120g Dried Cranberries and Blueberries, 2tsp Almond Extract and 1/4 tsp good quality salt (I use Celtic grey salt.)

 

Method: It couldn't be easier. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz. I only have a mini chopper at the moment, which overheats and stops after a minute! Not ideal but we work with what we have! So I do mine in batches, but a good food processor will do this mixing part easily. Give it a few minutes to get the texture as you want it (I keep a few chunky nuts running through it) and tip the mix onto baking parchment to roll.

Forming a ball first, lay the mix between 2 pieces of baking parchment (The one already underneath and one on top.) Now you can roll it without it sticking to the rolling pin into a flat piece which can be sliced when firm.

 

Pop it in the fridge for a few hours and then cut into slices as desired. I jar mine up in glass jars (the best none toxic way to store food) and pick at them throughout the week when I want something sweet!

 

 

 

Tips! 

1. Make them your own: Alter the amount of extract depending on your own tastes. I love a really strong almond flavour but if you want it more subtle, add just 1tsp of almond extract and maybe 1tsp of vanilla too for a more gentle balance. 

 

2. Get creative: They can be completely personalised. You could add cocoa and orange to give a more chocolatey hit, or ground cinnamon in the mix for a more festive taste. You can roll them into balls too, you don't have to slice them. Just make sure you have the base components of some nuts, some dried fruit and some dates, as they bring the natural sweetness and hold it all together.

 

3. Gift some: They make a lovely gift in a glass jar. Try adding a blackboard sticky label and chalk on your words. Or a pretty fabric piece to the lid secured with a rubber band. A cost effective but beautiful handmade gift.