DATE CRUNCH
We needed something sweet but I didn’t want to put the oven on and bake. I decided to make date crunch as we have supermarket own brand rice crispies that need eating up (we only eat cereal in summer), dates left from Christmas, and my brother gave me some chocolate the other day. We always try to make dishes with what we already have in rather than looking for a recipe and then going to buy the ingredients. This saves us a lot of money but also saves on waste. I have all the other ingredients in my cupboard and fridge and so it seemed a no brainer to make this.
This recipe makes 2 8 x 8 inch trays which have been greased and lined. It seems a lot of ingredients but it makes at least 32 squares. I have frozen it, but have also kept it a few weeks in a tin, and it has been OK.
Recipe
135g sugar
200g butter or margarine
120g golden syrup
200g rice crispies or cornflakes
260g pitted dates (optional)
4 or 5 x 100g chocolate (I use either Aldi cheap chocolate or a mixture of what ever I have).
Method
1.Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan and boil for 5 mins.
2.Add the rice crispies or cornflakes and the dates (I have used currants or sultanas when I have not had dates) and mix well.
3. Press the mixture into the greased and lined trays and flatten with the back of a spoon.
4. Leave to set for an hour in a cool place.
5. Break the chocolate up and melt in the microwave, checking every 20 seconds and stirring so that it doesn’t burn.( I melt half the chocolate and do each tray separately.)
6. Spread the chocolate over the mixture and leave to set.. cut into 16 or 20 pieces per tray.😋
I like the look of these. I also have own brand rice crispies to use up.
I have some dates to use and these look good.
I watched Naydia’s Time to Cook (I think that’s the name) and she mentions golden syrup only I forget exactly what it is. Could honey be used as a substitute?
To be honest I have never used honey in this recipe and so I am not sure. I have used it in a flap jack type recipe instead of golden syrup and that worked, and so it might. I had to add more honey than the weight of golden syrup, though, to make it stick together.