I don’t usually like chocolate with mint in a dessert, but I do love chocolate with mint, and this slice really works.

This is a simple variant on the Cookies and Cream slice that I’ve made before. Same base, with peppermint essence and matcha green tea powder for colour and a feeling of healthiness.

BASE
125g (3/4 cup) raw almonds
60g 90% dark chocolate (6 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 matcha green tea powder (when I ran out, I started using the same quantity of raw greens powder instead)
4 drops food grade peppermint essential oil, or 1 tsp peppermint extract
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. Here I made a double batch:

Put the cashews, maple syrup, coconut cream, matcha green tea powder (or greens powder if using) and peppermint oil (or extract) 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. Yep, that’s a true-to-real-life colour, and I love it.

Refrigerate until very cold and firm all the way through. Use the wax paper overhang to pull the slice out of the tin, slice into 6 to 8 pieces.

Decorate if and as desired. For example:

• shaved dark chocolate sprinkled over
• halved after-dinner mints, pressed onto each slice
• drizzled with melted chocolate (maybe thinned with a bit of coconut oil) – but let this cool a bit or it will melt right into the slice

Keep refrigerated until eaten. It doesn’t need freezing, thanks to the cacao butter, but it will go very soft if left out of the fridge for ten minutes or more.