Sprint Bars
I make plenty of complicated recipes and sometimes I’m in danger of overthinking them.
This recipe just demonstrates how delicious something simple can be. I hesitate to even call it a recipe. These are possibly the easiest sweet treats ever. They are ever-so-slightly reminiscent of those Snickers bars with caramel, crunchy peanuts and delicious chocolate. I am old enough to remember them as Marathons, but these are super quick to make, hence the name, Sprints.
Medjool dates are dark, juicy, rich and quite toffee like – the perfect match to salty peanut butter and dark chocolate.
The truly healthier option would be to use raw almond butter or walnut butter and raw chocolate. However, use whatever nut butter and chocolate you prefer or have to hand. This is a fun activity for kids too.
These are super rich – ludicrously so. I cannot eat a whole one and prefer to eat one over an evening or two in thin slices. John can, however, pack a couple away without hesitation.
PROFESSIONAL CHEF GUIDANCE
400g of chocolate will easily be enough to cover these. Any leftover chocolate can be set, broken into chunks and remelted (or eaten) later. It is better to have slightly more chocolate as using the last of the chocolate scrapings can look a bit sad and messy on the last couple of bars.
Don’t let the chocolate set in the fridge unless you live in a very warm environment. You get a better finish on your chocolates if they cool at room temperature.
Shelf life? Your household must be very restrained, about 6 weeks stored in a cool dark place.
SPRINT BARS
INGREDIENTS
Makes 20 fun size bars
20 Medjool dates
7 tablespoons peanut, almond or walnut butter
4 tablespoons peanuts/20 walnuts or 20 almonds
400g raw chocolate or dark chocolate
METHOD
Pit each of the Medjool dates and remove the stalk. Make an incision along the length of the date but don’t cut it all the way through.
Spoon a teaspoon of peanut butter into each cavity and add about 3 peanuts on top. Push both sides of the date together and smooth off any jagged bits of peanut butter that might squish out so it’s nice and tidy. Repeat until you have used all the dates. Pop them in the freezer for about 5 minutes so the peanut butter firms up.
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a bain marie.
Line a tray with a silicone mat or baking parchment.
Remove the filled dates from the freezer and dip each one in melted chocolate, place them on the lined tray and leave somewhere cool to set.
Store in a sealed container in a cool place.
Photography: Dawn Langley