Life has been crazy lately and I have so much going on that I feel like it’s difficult to keep it together and not go in panic mode. Living the way I live can be extremely stressful with things and circumstances changing constantly and having to deal with a lot of things on your own without the support system that you normally have when living close to your family and friends. But thanks God for the technology that enables us to feel closer to our loved ones even when we are far away and get that much needed support and encouragement. Anyway, I won’t bother you with my problems and I’ll share more soon but for the moment let me tell you how I deal with all the stress!
The answer is: chocolate!!!!! 😀 More specifically, chocolate cups filled with creamy date caramel!
Well, that’s a part of the treatment ha ha, I do also other things like yoga, long walks, herbal teas, remembering to breathe deeply (don’t underestimate the power of breathing as we are sometimes so stressed or busy that we forget even to breath properly!), keeping myself busy in the kitchen, reading a good book, watching movies which don’t require using the brain that much etc… But besides all that, little treats help too, absolutely and we deserve them! 🙂
This treat is as easy as it gets, so quick to make but also very indulgent (so just what I need now!). I wouldn’t really put this one in the category of healthy sweets but it’s also not that unhealthy due to use of dark chocolate and homemade date caramel that is sooooo much better than the regular caramel in my opinion. The regular one was always way too sweet for me and I was never a fan (you can read more about that in the post where I made Apple date caramel bites – here) but this homemade date caramel is creamy, naturally sweet and it tastes amazing, I love it and I hope you will too!
It’s totally up to you to decide which chocolate to use but I highly recommend the dark one with at least 70% cacao as it goes so well with the sweetness of creamy date caramel. I used 70% cacao dark chocolate with almonds because I wanted that extra crunch, yum! 🙂 So get these few ingredients and go make this chocolaty treat because you deserve it!
English recipe:
- 250 g (2 cups) dark chocolate (I used 70% cacao dark chocolate with almonds)
- For date caramel
- 1 - 1.5 cups Medjool dates (if using regular dried dates, soak them in hot water for at least 20 minutes before so they soften)
- ¼ cup almond milk (other milk)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- For sprinkling
- sea salt
- Note: 1 cup = 250 ml
- You will have some of date caramel left after using for this recipe but that shouldn't be a problem! 🙂
- To make this dessert vegan, just use vegan chocolate.
- Prepare 6 cups muffin pan and line with paper cups.
- Prepare date caramel by putting all the ingredients (dates, milk, coconut oil, vanilla and salt) in your food processor and process until it's well combined and creamy. If necessary, add another 1-2 tbsp of milk until you get the creamy caramel texture. Set aside.
- Break chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl. Sit over a pan of barely simmering water (a bain marie) and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally.
- Take your prepared muffin pan and put 1 tbsp of melted chocolate into each cup. Put it 5 min in the freezer to set.
- Remove from the freezer and add 1 tsp of date caramel in the center of each cup.
- Add another tbsp of melted chocolate over the caramel until it's completely covered and put in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.
- Remove from the freezer, sprinkle with sea salt and once it's set, cut each cup in half or smaller pieces and store in fridge. Enjoy!
Croatian recipe / Recept na hrvatskom:
- SASTOJCI
- 250 g tamne cokolade (ja sam koristila tamnu cokoladu 70% kakaa s ljesnjacima)
- Za karamel od datulja:
- 1-1.5 salica Medjool datulja (ako koristite obicne datulje, namocite ih u toploj vodi barem 20 minuta kako bi omeksale)
- ¼ salice bademovog (ili drugog) mlijeka
- 1 zlica kokosovog ulja, otopljenog
- 1 zlicica vanilin ekstrakta
- prstohvat soli
- Za posipanje: cvijet soli
- Napomena: 1 salica = 250 ml
- Ostat ce vam nesto karamela od datulja, ali to ne bi trebao biti problem! 🙂
- Da bi ovaj recept bio veganski, koristite vegansku cokoladu.
- PRIPREMA
- Pripremite kalupa za 6 muffina i oblozite ga papirnatim casicama (ne trebate ako je kalup silikonski).
- Najprije napravite karamel od datulja tako sto cete staviti sve sastojke (datulje, kokosovo ulje, vaniliju i sol) u vas multipraktik i miksati dok ne dobijete kremastu i glatku smjesu. Ako je potrebno za lakse miksanje, mozete dodati 1-2 zlice mlijeka.
- Rastopite cokoladu nad parom.
- Stavljajte po 1 zlicu rastopljene cokolade u svaki muffin kalup. Stavite 5 minuta u zamrzivac da se malo stisne.
- Dodajte po 1 zlicicu pripremljenog karamela od datulja u sredinu svake casice.
- Na vrh dodajte po jos 1 zlicu otopljene cokolade dok se karamel potpuno ne prekrije.
- Stavite u zamrzivac 30-ak minuta da se stisne.
- Izvadite iz zamrzivaca, posipajte cvijetom soli (po zelji), izrezite na polovice i drzite u frizideru do serviranja. Uzivajte!
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Zena | Zena 'n Zaatar says
These look amazing, I have to try making them ASAP!! I love dark chocolate and almonds and the date caramel filling looks divine 😍
travellingoven says
Thank you so much, I’m sure you’ll love these, they are delicious little treat! 🙂
Shelly @ Vegetarian 'Ventures says
Love love love that you used date caramel in these! So dreamy!
travellingoven says
Thanks so much, I love this date caramel, it’s so much better than regular overly sweet caramel!