Chocolate Caramel Coffee Bars- Unprocessed and Paleo Approved! (Well the dark chocolate part is debatable...)

My hubby has long entertained the idea of working for the Feds. The very first time he mentioned his interest, I made a promise to myself that if he ever was accepted to the FBI Academy, I'd spend the duration of his training in Paris, Now, I don't know how long Federal agent training lasts, but his State training took eight months. Since he was still in Georgia we were able to see each other roughly every two weeks, but with the FBI training head quarters being in Virginia, our visits would be fewer and farther in between. I'd be so lonely at home all by myself for that extended period of time, but the cost of traveling to see him would be considerable. I think another good use of that money would be an extended trip to Paris. It would be the perfect distraction for my love sick heart. Writing in front of an open window, crips white curtains fluttering in the breeze. Strolling through the city in the afternoons, nibbling bon bons and sipping fine wine. I'd be saturated in inspiration for my creative craft.

I'm not counting any chickens before they hatch or fretting over the future. Heck no! I'm just indulging in some heady wishful thinking. Those decisions are somewhere far down the road and will come in due time, but I do enjoy dreaming of the possibilities.

Speaking of bon bons, sometimes all a girl needs is some chocolate. In fact, I think you should savor a bit of chocolate every day if it suits you and helps you foster a bit of happiness or balance. Is that investing too much emotion into a food? Probably, but let's face it, chocolate will always be tied to emotion, so we might as well enjoy it. But make sure you enjoy the good stuff. M&Ms may be good in a pinch, but they pale in comparison to a rich homemade chocolate dessert, like these:

Chocolate Caramel Coffee Bars from Paleomg.com.

How decadent do those look? The best part is that aside from a little dark chocolate these are made with 100% whole, unprocessed ingredients. No preservatives and sweetened with dates and a tiny bit of honey (ok and the chocolate), these babies are a perfect alternative to typical sweet treat fare. I made them last night, and they were amazing! They're extremely rich so a small square should satisfy even your most vicious cravings. I used 70% dark chocolate, and that paired with the dates (I love dates, even if they look like cockroaches) was just a touch too tangy for me. Next time I'll try 55% dark chocolate or maybe milk chocolate and see if that makes a difference. Regardless, these will be a party in your mouth. (And they aren't troublesome to make at all.) Enjoy!

Chocolate Coffee Caramel Bars

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

 

Serves: 3-4 (these are way too rich to just serve 3-4! Cut them into small squares and savor.)

 

Ingredients

For the crust

• 12 dried figs (or dates, if you prefer), stems removed
• ½ cup almond butter
• ¼ cup Unsweetended Shredded Coconut
• 2 tablespoons Raw Honey
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

For the caramel

• 12-14 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water for an hour
• 5-6 tablespoons canned coconut milk (I only used 5 tbsps and could have used slightly less still- or use less of the water below)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the topping

• 1 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or dark chocolate, melted
• ¼ cup canned coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons ground coffee
• coarse sea salt, to top

Instructions

1. First make your crust. Add all of your crust ingredients into a food processor and mix until well combined. Add the crust mixture to a bread pan and push down until the mixture is flat. Like a crust. Duh.
2. Now add your dates and pulse until dates have broken down (less than a minute) then add your coconut milk tablespoon by tablespoon to the dates while the food processor is still running. Then add your water as well.
3. And add your vanilla extract and pinch of salt.
4. Process until you get a caramel. BOOM. May take 3-5 minutes, tops.
5. Pour caramel over your crust and spread evenly.
6. Now you will want to melt your chocolate. You could do this in a double boiler or just the microwave. I chose the latter.
7. Melt chocolate and coconut milk together in the microwave. Heating for 30 seconds then mixing well and reheating when necessary.
8. Once your chocolate is completely melted, add your ground coffee and mix well.
9. Pour melted chocolate over your caramel and spread evenly.
10. Add coarse sea salt on top of the chocolate.
11. Put in freezer to let chocolate harden. Around 10+ minutes.
12. Eat!!