Nutty Date Fingers

This is a slice that I like a lot so I do not make it as much as I once did. It keeps quite well - if you can resist the temptation. The base is very firm and the filling sort of fudgy in texture. I prefer less chocolate for the topping, however, my chocoholic family like a layer of chocolate all over. The recipe can be played around with; a plain base can be created by omitting the cocoa and substituting caster sugar for the brown, pecans are delicious instead of the walnuts and almonds /almond meal would also work.  As the base is quite hard I find that it is easier to cut up at room temperature or if removed from the fridge for half an hour or so before cutting.

Nutty Date Fingers

Base 125 g butter 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon Dutch Cocoa 1 1/4 cups flour Optional Chocolate Topping 1 large block dark chocolate 80 g butter

Filling 1 1/2 cups dates, chopped 1 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped 1 cup icing sugar 80 g butter 1 cup peanut butter 3 eggs 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons boiling water

Method

Base

Heat oven to 180 deg C

Melt butter, add dry ingredients and mix well.

Press into a greased and lined deep slice tin

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and allow the base to cool.

Filling

Place dates in the boiling water and allow dates to soften.

Food Processor Method

Combine all filling ingredients in a food processor and blitz until mixture forms a paste

Or Conventional method

Cream butter, peanut butter and icing sugar

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Use a wet knife or spatula to spread the filling over the base.

Bake for another 15 -20 minutes until the filling is lightly browned and feels cooked.

Allow to cool and then pour the chocolate topping over the slice.

Allow the topping to set and then cut into smaller pieces. (squares or rectangles). Alternatively, use half quantity of chocolate topping and pipe/drizzle the topping over the top of the slice or omit topping and dust with a little sifted icing sugar just before serving.

Topping

Melt chocolate and butter together over low heat or in the microwave on medium setting in 1 minute intervals.