Salted maple tahini & date bites

Inspired by caramel slice.  Makes 30

Ingredients
For the base:
1 cup almond meal
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 cup (180g) Medjool dates, approximately 10
¼ teaspoon salt

For the salted maple tahini filling:
1 cup hulled tahini
½ cup pure maple syrup
⅓ cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt

For the chocolate layer:
100g dark chocolate, I used 70% dark chocolate
1 tablespoon coconut oil

1.  Preheat the oven to 155°C FF. Line a square 20cm x 20cm baking tin with baking paper that overhangs the sides, so you can lift the slice out later, and set aside.

2.  For the base: Place all ingredients in a food processor & blitz till you have a sandy mixture. Or finely chop the dates, mix with remaining base ingredients & press into the tin.
Using a palette knife/offset spatula to do this step, helps make a flat, even biscuit layer. The back of a spoon works great too.

3.  Bake the biscuit base for 15 minutes or until light golden-brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

4.  For the maple salted tahini filling: Place all ingredients into a MW-safe bowl/jug and heat for 30 seconds. Mix until smooth  & taste to see whether you need more salt or not.
In a MW-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate & coconut oil for 30 second increments until fully melted (a total of 1 minute should do it!).

5.  Time to assemble: Pour the salted maple tahini filling over the slightly cooled biscuit base. Spoon the melted chocolate on top and, using the back of a spoon, create dramatic swirls on top. This will give the tahini bars a wonderful swirl pattern in the layers when you slice it.
Place in the fridge and allow to chill for at least 4 hours or, even better, overnight.

6.  Using a hot, sharp knife, cut 30 bite sized pieces of the slice and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy! These bites will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3 months (if they last that long!).

TIPS:
Oven type: If your oven doesn’t have a fan, use the conventional temperature for a regular oven. Typically, these ovens have a heat source from the top and bottom. A fan oven uses a fan to spread heat evenly, so it cooks faster and at a lower temperature. Most ovens can switch between both modes, so you can choose whichever you prefer.
Go for whole dates: And remove the pits yourself. While it may seem like an extra step, whole dates are much juicier and more flavourful than pre-pitted ones — exactly what we want for these bites!
Use solid virgin coconut oil: Easily found at most grocery stores and sold in jars. Avoid the liquid version, as it can make the filling too runny.
Chill time is essential: Let the slice chill for at least a few hours or overnight before cutting. This helps the coconut oil firm up and gives you clean, precise slices.
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and can be made vegan.

(from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-12/salted-maple-tahini-date-bites-like-caramel-slice/104373054)