Raw Triangles - A Snack That Packs A Nutritional Punch

Jennifer Leckey JENNIFER LECKEY

As every mum knows, little ones need regular refuelling (sometimes it amazes us how regularly!) and very often this is when we are on the move. Whether it’s after-school snacks, a playdate snack share or a weekend bite, it’s a perfect opportunity to get our kiddiwinks munching on some fun, super tasty, supercharged foods.

Vibrant and delicious, these ‘birdseed triangles’ (as my kids call them) combine sesame and pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and berries in their original, raw state for optimal nutrition. This is a fool-proof recipe that is unbelievably quick and simple to make, lunch box friendly (no nuts), and – now for the best part – involves chocolate! Your mini kitchen assistants will be vying for the job of chief chocolate dunker!

Raw Triangles

Ingredients

Bars

  • 170 g (1½ cups) dates, pitted and soaked
  • 3 tbsp vanilla essence
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 10 g (¾ cup) puffed quinoa
  • 50 g (⅔ cup) desiccated coconut
  • 50 g (⅓ cup) pumpkin seeds
  • 50 g (½ cup) sesame seeds
  • 25 g (¼ cup) goji berries

Chocolate

  • 80 g (1 cup) cocoa butter
  • 50 ml (½ cup) maple syrup/honey
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 60 g (⅔ cup) raw chocolate powder

Method

  1. Soak dates in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Discard water.
  2. Process dates, coconut oil, vanilla, and cinnamon in a food processor until you have a sticky dough.
  3. Add puffed quinoa and all remaining bar ingredients by hand and press dough firmly into a lined tray. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before cutting them into individual triangles.
  4. Place a pan with about 3 centimetres of water on a stove. Put the cacao butter into a heatproof bowl and set bowl in the water.
  5. Bring the water to a simmer then turn off the flame and let the butter sit until it is melted.
  6. Stir frequently and add liquid sweetener (honey/maple syrup) and scrape of a vanilla pod.
  7. Remove pan from heat. Use a food thermometer and stir in raw chocolate powder at roughly 55 C. Chocolate is very delicate and can become lumpy or grainy if overheated. Avoid all contact with water as the chocolate will seize.
  8. Dip corners of the individual triangles into raw chocolate and let dry on a rack.
  9. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Jennifer Leckey

BY JENNIFER LECKEY

Jennifer Leckey is a British/Australian mother of two young girls with another little one on the way. She has a passion for cooking fun, delicious, and nutritious food for her family. Away from the kitchen she is a teacher but as a side project has teamed up with fellow mum and health-food enthusiast, Judy Moosmueller, to create two healthy recipes books for children, 'There’s A Beetroot In My Cake' and 'There’s A Carrot In My Piñata'.