This delicious tray-bake treat from TV presenter Laura Jackson and Radio 1 DJ Alice Levine is certain to satisfy your dinner party guests.
Laura and Alice are busy ladies, and as we all know, with a busy schedule comes the inevitable desire to snack. And what is their snack of choice? California Almonds . When we caught up with them recently Laura explained how she always has to carry a little bag of almonds in her handbag to keep her hunger at bay and to avoid the all too familiar 'hangry' feeling when the cravings kick in. Alice shared her snacking secret too, revealing that she likes to put a lime and chipotle mix onto her almonds for an on the go fix.
Here they share their recipe for a nutty tray-bake which makes the perfect sweet treat, incorporating the natural goodness of almonds and a smooth dark chocolate topping. Creamy chocolate flakes and succulent dried cherries create a delightfully chewy texture too.
CHERRY, ALMOND & COCONUT PARADISE CRUNCH
Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS
125g almonds (whole & chopped)
125g mixed seeds, such as linseed, poppy
100g dried cherries, chopped
60g coconut flakes
100g honey
50g coconut oil
50g dark chocolate
Pinch of sea salt
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160ºC for fan).
2. Spread the almonds and seeds on a roasting tray, roast for 5-10 minutes until they turn slightly golden.
3. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
4. Line a 24 cm square tin with baking parchment (have some over-hang so you can easily remove the mixture later).
5. Pour the cooled almond and seed mix into a large bowl along with the coconut flakes and cherries – mix together.
6. Place the oil and honey in a pan, heat gently then bring up to the boil and allow the sweet liquid to bubble for a minute.
7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, stir through the roasted almond mixture.
8. Transfer the mixture immediately to a square tin spreading in out into an even layer – pressing down as you go so the mixture is tightly compacted.
9. Place in the fridge until the mixture is cold.
10. Break the chocolate up into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over simmering water and allow the chocolate to melt – stir occasionally. (Note – do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl or it will burn the chocolate).
11. Once melted leave to cool slightly.
12. Remove the cooled almond mixture from the fridge, and drizzle the melted chocolate over the almond mixture. Add a sprinkle of sea salt to complement the sweetness of the chocolate and honey.
13. Once the chocolate is set, remove from the tin and break into snack size crunchy bites.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
CALORIES: 290kcal
FAT: 20.1g
SAT FAT: 6.5g
PROTEIN: 6.2g
CARBS: 23.7g
FIBRE: 3.4g
SODIUM: 63.7mg
CALCIUM: 47.3mg
IRON: 1.5mg
MAGNESIUM: 26.8mg
POTASSIUM: 127mg
VITAMIN A: 9.4mcg
VITAMIN E: 0.01mg
FOLATE: 14.3mcg
Alice Levine and Laura Jackson want people to say yes to snacking with California Almonds. For more information and recipes, head to www.almonds.co.uk .