Emily Findlay's beautiful company is called Emily Bakes and she bakes delicious and simple food to satisfy the everyday sweet tooth. She creates lots of vegan cakes as well as ‘normal’ cakes and believes that food is about memories, community, friends and sharing something special with those who are dear to us. Here's her recipe for a healthy millionaires shortbread/caramel slice:
A Healthy ‘Caramel’ Slice (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan)
Ingredients
Base:
2 cups of gluten free rolled oats
1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of hot water 1/2 a cup of almond butter (or nut butter of your choice - peanut butter works well too).
3/4 of a cup of melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
Caramel Filling:
2 cups of pitted dates (chopped)
2 cups of cashew milk
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of tahini
Chocolate topping:
150 grams of good quality dark chocolate
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line and grease a deep slice tin with baking paper and in a large bowl, mix the rolled oats, coconut and baking powder together. In a separate bowl, mix the ground flaxseed and hot water, then leave the mixture in the fridge for ten minutes so that it thickens. After ten minutes, remove from the fridge, re-whisk and add to the oat mix. Whisk all ingredients together with a fork until combined.
Add the nut butter, melted coconut oil and maple syrup to the bowl. Use your (clean) hands to massage the mixture until evenly combined so that the ingredients come together to form at ball.
Press the mix into the prepared tin, pushing into the corners until firmly packed.
Now prepare the caramel. Place the dates and cashew milk in a heavy based saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a low heat. Simmer for fifteen minutes, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, allowing the dates to break up. The liquid should start to evaporate and the date mixture will begin to form a paste. After fifteen minutes, stir in the salt, maple syrup, vanilla and tahini.
Simmer for a couple more minutes until only a little liquid remains. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher to remove any lumps from your paste. Spread the 'caramel' mix evenly over the oaty base and bake for thirty minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
Once cool prepare the chocolate topping:
Melt the dark chocolate with coconut oil in a small saucepan over a low heat. Once smooth, spread the chocolate evenly across the slice.
Transfer to the fridge to set for 2-3 hours before chopping into squares and eating. Store this slice in the fridge while you devour it. It also freezes well.