So, I share this with you for those moments when you just need a little something for a pick-me-up.  Something to tide you over the mid afternoon slump.  Something to sooth you through the evening  grumpy hour (or hours) with your kids.  Something to relax with over a cup of coffee (or Friendly Hot Chocolate) when you need some me-time.   You can ditch the chocolate and just eat the date stuffed with the almond butter and it's really good.  But trust me, take the time to dip them in chocolate and keep a batch in the freezer for those emergency moments when you need a little something that says 'you can do this...keep going'.  I think you'll thank me for it.   

Ingredients:

• 16 Medjool Dates (the large, soft variety)
• 100g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
• about 1/4 cup pure almond butter

Method:

• Line a small baking tray with baking paper.
• Cut dates long-ways down the middle until you hit the seed (do not cut all the way through).
• Remove the seed
• Fill the cavity with 1/2 teaspoon almond butter per date
• Eat them now or place them all on the baking tray in the freezer to firm up for at least half an hour and then coat with chocolate (the chocolate sticks to the date much better if it has been frozen first)
• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler  (place a glass or ceramic bowl over a saucepan with a little water in the bottom ; bring the water to the boil, then turn down to low temperature ; the steam from the water heats the bowl and melts the chocolate)
  
• Take stuffed dates out of freezer and one at a time roll them in the chocolate and remove with a fork.  Allow excess chocolate to drain off the date over the bowl before placing the choc covered dates on the baking tray.
• When all dates are coated, place the tray back in the freezer for an hour.
• Store them in the freezer in an airtight container.   Neither the date nor the almond butter actually freeze solid- they have a lovely chewy texture that is reminiscent of real caramel, and are surprisingly not super cold to eat.  You can also store them in the fridge if you prefer.
  
  If you want to be tempted by more Friendly treats, check out these recipes.
  

Gluten free - grain free - dairy free - refined sugar free - vegetarian - contains egg and nuts
    I'm excited about this one!  I'm rather partial to a nice sugary coated nut!  Here's a wonderfully Christmassy version of sugar coated nuts....made with Coconut Sugar rather than refined sugar.
   Coconut Sugar is made by tapping the stems of the coconut palm, extracting the sap, and then dehydrating it at very low temperatures.  This minimal amount of processing produces a nutrient and mineral-rich product with a great toffee-like taste.  It has a low GI (about 35, compared with refined sugar's 68), providing a slow energy release for your body.  It's also a very sustainable product- once a stem is tapped, it flows for the next 20 years.  You can use it measure-for-measure to replace sugar in baking.
    Coating the nuts with egg white produces a crispy-crunchy coating and the spices I've used just scream 'Christmas' to me...I hope you love them as much as I do! 

Ingredients:

• 500g (1 pound) mixed nuts.  Choose your favourite mix or just one type of nut- it's up to you!  I use 100g macadamias, 200g cashews, 200g almonds.  You can use raw, or activated, or roasted nuts...whatever you're into!
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tablespoons coconut sugar (you could also use rapadura)
  
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350F).
• Line a large baking tray/cookie sheet with baking paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cinnamon and cloves and coconut sugar until all are just incorporated and there are no lumps.  A hand whisk or fork is fine- no need to use electric beaters.
• Add the nuts and stir until the nuts are evenly coated.
• Spread evenly over the lined baking tray, making sure the nuts are in one layer.
• Place tray in the oven at a level as far away from the element or gas as possible (my oven has gas at the base so I place the tray on the top shelf).
• Back for 18-20 minutes, ensuring the nuts have a crisp coating but are not burning.
• Remove from oven and cool completely before storing in an airtight container. 
• Serve them for Christmas nibbles or pop them in little jars and give them gifts.
• For other Christmas food ideas, scroll through the list here.
  

 Gluten free - grain free - dairy free - refined sugar free - additive free - vegetarian
     Banana flour is a gluten free flour, but has a few advantages over other gluten free flours.  Firstly, it's not only gluten free but also grain free- great for all you Paleo eaters out there!  Secondly, it's not a nut-based gluten free flour- great for those with tree nut allergies).  Thirdly, it's a Resistant Starch.  My attempt to explain what this means is as follows:  Resistant starch is resistant to the digestive enzymes in the stomach and small intestine, so it is not absorbed there like most other starches, and makes it all the way to the large intestine, acting like dietary fibre.
   The benefits of this include:
-keeping your bowels 'regular'
-reducing the chance of colon cancer
-doesn't give your body an instant glucose hit like other starches, and then the associated sugar-low afterwards (ie it's very low G.I.)
-keeps you feeling full for longer
-reduces fat storage after a meal that it is consumed
-promotes increased mineral absorption compared to other starches, especially calcium and magnesium
-promotes good bacteria off the gut (they can feed off it)
    No other food contains as much resistant starch per serve as bananas! Second in the running is rolled oats.
    Unlike many other gluten free flours that require altering recipes drastically to achieve the non-gluten-free comparison, it's easy to replace regular flour in your favourite recipes.  You use 3/4 cup of banana flour for every cup of wheat flour in the recipe, make sure you use baking powder or soda, and add one extra egg (or equivalent soaked chia seeds).
    This recipe was a childhood favourite of mine.  We called it Sultana Slice and it's in a hand-written in a book of recipes I transcribed from my Mum's when I left home.  I've been wanting to give it a gluten/dairy/sugar-free make over for a long time and the banana flour has helped to keep it excitingly close to the original taste and texture. 
     And, by the way, it doesn't taste like banana!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (125 g) coconut oil(or organic butter)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup banana flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb /baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice (or add an extra teaspoon cinnamon)
• 3/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 1/2 cups sultanas (if you don't like dried fruit in slice, you could replace this with 100g chopped 70% cocoa chocolate)

Variation:  if you want to make this slice a little more 'adult', soak the sultanas in Port or Sherry for half an hour before using them (drain the liquid before adding them to the batter).

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350F  (160C fan forced).
2. Line a small rectangular or square slice tin with baking paper. (about 19 x 28cm)
3. In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil or butter.  While hot, stir in the coconut sugar and vanilla.
4. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork in a separate bowl and add to the oil mix in the saucepan.
5. Add the flour, bicarb soda, cinnamon, allspice, desiccated coconut and sultanas. 
6. Mix very thoroughly until as smooth as possible.
7. Spread into the lined tin and smooth out the top.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, then cover with foil and bake a further 10 minutes.  Do not overcook as it can get very dry and crumbly!
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  This slice is yummy served warm with some dairy free ice cream and caramel sauce for dessert, or it's great once cooled as a morning or afternoon snack.
10. Store in an airtight container.