We are huge fans of peanut butter in my household and this treat was a big hit. It lasts a long time in the freezer so there’s no rush to get through it all.
Serves: 12
INGREDIENTS
Base
1 cup dried dates
1 cup raw hazelnuts
1 cup almond meal
¾ cup desiccated (fine) coconut
pinch sea salt
Filling
500 grams cream cheese (not the spreadable variety)
¾ cup light muscovado sugar (you could also use brown or coconut sugar)
1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
1¼ cups crunchy peanut butter
1¼ cups cream
To top
80 grams dark chocolate
METHOD
Base: Place dates in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 10 minutes before draining well.
Place hazelnuts and almond meal in a food processor and blitz until the hazelnuts have a coarse flour consistency. Add the dates, coconut and sea salt. Run the machine until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and relatively even in consistency.
Line a 23-cm square cake tin with cling film. Press mixture into the tin. Take some time to do this, pressing down firmly and ensuring the depth is even across the whole tin. Place in the freezer while you make the filling.
Filling: Bring the cream cheese to room temperature.
Use a stand mixer or electric beaters to mix together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the peanut butter and cream. Mix until completely combined. Cover the base evenly with the filling using a spatula. Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate.
Cut the dessert into pieces. Use a heavy knife dipped in boiling water (then dried) to make tidy slices. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the slices and place in the freezer to set.
Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Serves 12
Cook's note: Check the label to make sure the peanut butter and chocolate you’re using are gluten-free, as not every brand is.
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In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.