This slice is like a fat, soft Oreo. But much healthier and not sickly sweet.

I have fallen in love with using dark chocolate in the crumb base for slices. But only when the body of the slice is vanilla or caramel or lemon, and not chocolate as well.

This version has about 25% more base than normal, and about 25% less filling that normal, so the cookie idea comes through a big stronger. And I just want to eat more of this dark chocolate base anyway.

BASE
125g (3/4 cup) raw almonds
60g 90% dark chocolate (5 squares of Lindt Excellence)
3 medjool dates, pitted and soaked for 15 minutes in 125ml (1/2 cup) water from a recently boiled kettle
1 tsp vanilla powder

FILLING
100g (1 full cup) raw cashews, soaked for a couple of hours or overnight, then drained
2 tbsp maple syrup
150ml coconut cream
2 tsp vanilla powder
some of the date soaking water, as required
80g raw cacao butter, melted

PROCEDURE

I line my usual small brownie tin (25cm long by 7.5cm wide by 4.5cm deep) with wax paper. For a normal sized pan, use double the above ingredients.

In a food processor, grind the almonds to a flour for 30 seconds in the Breville Kitchen Wizz Pro.

Add the dark chocolate, dates (not the soaking water), and vanilla powder, and blitz for about 30 to 60 seconds until a moist, finely chocolate chipped, crumble forms. Press this into the lined tin.

Put the cashews, maple syrup, coconut cream and vanilla into a high speed blender like a Vitamix. Blend for a minute or two.

If the mixture is almost too thick to blend, add some of the date soaking water and blend again. It should be silky smooth.

Leave the blender running on low, and pour in the melted cacao butter and blend until well combined.

Pour the filling over the base layer, smoothing it out.

Refrigerate until very cold and firm all the way through. Use the wax paper overhang to pull the slice out of the tin, slice and refrigerate until eaten.