Date + Nut Bars

RHemmings

Just made some. I used 50% (approximately) Lidl mixed nuts (Walnuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Almonds), and 50% Lidl dates (which were quite firm.) About 100g or each. Added half a tablespoon of cocoa powder and a tiny capful of vanilla (probably too much judging by taste.) Whizzed them for quite some time in my reasonably powered food processor.

Apart from the vanilla being a touch, which isn't too much of a problem: yum! Much cheaper than buying the bars too.

I wonder if it would be possible to make the bars with soft dried apricots instead of the dates. (Probably no cocoa for that flavour.)

coffeehound

That's a good idea. Might have a go since I spend too much on museli bars, etc.

RHemmings wrote: »

I wonder if it would be possible to make the bars with soft dried apricots instead of the dates. (Probably no cocoa for that flavour.)

Applefords cluster bars had a variety with apricot and chocolate chips which tasted great, so maybe no need to omit the cocoa powder?

Doom_and_Gloom

I make them one part dates, one part sultanas and one part cashew nuts. Makes them cheaper but they are heavier on the fruit. I soak the nuts for a few hours to soften them a bit too.
The dates are what binds the bars together really. I'd say use the way I do them but apricots instead of sultanas.

RHemmings

Thanks for the recommendations. My current ones are a bit crumbly, so more fruit (as in D&G's post) may well help. Same for soaking. Sultanas.

I'll experiment some more.

karcher

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

I make them one part dates, one part sultanas and one part cashew nuts. Makes them cheaper but they are heavier on the fruit. I soak the nuts for a few hours to soften them a bit too.
The dates are what binds the bars together really. I'd say use the way I do them but apricots instead of sultanas.

What do you soak the fruit in?

RHemmings

Just as a followup to my comment on dates being expensive: I found much cheaper dates for sale at Sainsbury's. £1.25 for 500g.

Doom_and_Gloom

karcher wrote: »

What do you soak the fruit in?

I soak the nuts. I use filtered water.
If you use nour dates or packet dates I'd say you would need to soak them for a few hours also as they are harder. I use medjool dates as they are very sticky, perfect for the bars though yes they are more expensive.

RHemmings

My most recent batch (made yesterday) firmed up nicely in the fridge overnight and have a consistency similar to some of the commercial bars, e.g. nakd bars. Not that I planned to leave them overnight, I just didn't finish eating them. I didn't soak the dates even though they are hard, but my food processor managed to chop them up OK. The basic recipe I used was one part mixed nuts, one part dates, one part sultanas (as recommended by Doom & Gloom), and then added vanilla essence and cocoa powder. There are still bits of sultana left in the bars, but that's not a problem at all: tastes nice.

While my dates were cheap today, I bought 1/2 a kilo of cashews, and they weren't cheap. But, I'm really interested in having a go at making my own cashew 'cream cheese'. https://yupitsvegan.com/basic-cultured-cashew-cream-cheese/ I'm not sure how I'll be able to get them smooth enough, but I'll give it a go.

Not worth starting a new thread, but my partner really likes tofu quiches. I made one today for the first time, but it came out a bit too moist. Next time I'm going to not have pastry sticking out (I stopped cooking the quiche when the pastry 'rim' got a bit brown, so that I can cook it for longer.

Doom_and_Gloom

Soaking the nuts makes them easier to blend. I have a high power blender (blentec, one of the best presents from my parents) so if you do that for the 'cream cheese' you should be fine. Sounds like you didn't soak them for the fruit and nut bar.

RHemmings

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

Soaking the nuts makes them easier to blend. I have a high power blender (blentec, one of the best presents from my parents) so if you do that for the 'cream cheese' you should be fine. Sounds like you didn't soak them for the fruit and nut bar.

Thanks. I didn't soak anything for the fruit and nut bars. I would like to try the fermented cashew cheese, and I think there are recipes for cashew ice-cream around somewhere. All of those recipes (that I've seen) start with soaking the nuts - so I'll be doing that.

karcher

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

I soak the nuts. I use filtered water.
If you use nour dates or packet dates I'd say you would need to soak them for a few hours also as they are harder. I use medjool dates as they are very sticky, perfect for the bars though yes they are more expensive.

Ah sorry I mis-read (note to self: wear your glasses)...:o

Thanks for the info