“We don’t come to the table to fight or to defend. We don’t come to prove or to conquer, to draw lines in the sand or to stir up trouble. We come to the table because our hunger brings us there. We come with a need, with fragility, with an admission of our humanity. The table is the great equalizer, the level playing field many of us have been looking everywhere for. The table is the place where the doing stops, the trying stops, the masks are removed, and we allow ourselves to be nourished, like children. We allow someone else to meet our need. In a world that prides people on not having needs, on going longer and faster, on going without, on powering through, the table is a place of safety and rest and humanity, where we are allowed to be as fragile as we feel.”
― Shauna Niequist

“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” Acts 2:36

Serving: 9

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 8

Base

125g or 1 cup ground rolled oats (use gluten free oats to make this recipe GF friendly)
125g or 1 cup ground almonds
40ml or 2.5 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbs coconut oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla powder

Optional additions:

80 g or 1 cup desiccated coconut
150 g or 1 cup cashews

Caramel

350g or 2 cups pitted dates (soaked in boiling water for 1-2 hours)
95g or 2 tbsp peanut butter
40g or 1/3 cup nut of choice (to scatter on top of caramel or blend in)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla powder
1 tbsp water (or more if needed)

Chocolate Topping

100g or 1/2 cup coconut oil
60g or 3/4 cup cacao powder
2 tsp vanilla Powder
60ml or 4 tbsp maple syrup

Steps

Base

1. In a food processor or blender add oats and grind to a flour like consistency.
2. Add all the other ingredients and blend until it comes together when you pinch it in your hand. If it is still too crumbly to hold together, add 1 tbsp or more of water.
3. Press in to a tin lined with cling film or baking paper and place in the freezer while you make the caramel peanut butter filling.

Caramel

1. Blend the dates until they form a paste and then add the other ingredients, except for the nuts, blending until a smooth caramel forms.
2. Add the nuts and blend a few times so that they are combined with the caramel mixture. The other option is to scatter them on top of the caramel for a more crunchy texture
3. Spread onto the base and then return it to the freezer.

Chocolate

1. Melt the coconut oil in a bowel
2. Once melted add all the other ingredients and stir until you have a smooth chocolate.
3. Drizzle onto the other two layers and leave to set in the freezer for at least an hour.
4. Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before slicing into slabs to prevent it from cracking.
5. Dig in to nutty yummyness!