Real Food 'Chocolate Crackles'

OMG! This is amazing! These chocolate crackles were inspired by Masterchef Aaron Brunet's recipe for Chewy Carob Bars that appeared on the Bite website a while ago, but with a few tweaks to suit what was in my pantry! I spooned the mixture into mini baking cups and the kids reckoned it tasted like chocolate crackles - hence the new name. It would be a great crackle alternative for kids parties. This is actually a really forgiving recipe that can be tweaked in many ways to make it nut-free, or just to suit what you have on hand!  

WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR 20 CRACKLES:

1/2 Cup almonds, roughly chopped (or omit nuts, and make up the volume with extra seeds and amaranth puffs/rice bubbles)

3 Tbsp sunflower seeds

3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds

3 Tbsp sesame seeds

(You can throw in chia seeds, flaxseeds etc too. Just make sure the total volume of seeds is the same as above.)

3 Tbsp dessicated coconut

1 Cup amaranth puffs (the original recipe called for 1 Cup puffed millet but I couldn't find this anywhere. You could also use Rice Bubbles if you like. I used Ceres Organics amaranth puffs which you can find in the cereal aisle at your supermarket).

4 Tbsp cocoa powder (original recipe stipulated 4 Tbsp carob powder, but I didn't have any!)

2 Tbsp coconut oil (original recipe had 2 Tbsp flaxseed oil, but coconut oil makes it hold together better)

1/4 Cup freshly squeezed orange juice (juice from about 1/2 an orange)

3 Tbsp honey

HERE'S HOW YOU DO IT:

1. Put almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds on an oven tray and toast for 15 minutes in a 150C oven. Watch them carefully so they don't burn. Add the coconut when there’s 5 minutes to go. Remove from oven and pour into mixing bowl. Add rice bubbles and sifted cacao powder and mix well.
2. Heat the orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid until it thickens and goes frothy — about 2-4 minutes. Lower heat right down, add honey and coconut oil and stir to melt, then pour over dry ingredients and mix together well.
3. Place spoonfuls of mixture into mini baking cups and place in the fridge until they firm up. Or spread mixture thickly in a tray lined with baking paper. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon to compact, and place in fridge until it has firmed up. Cut into small squares. Keep in fridge in sealed container. 

AND HERE'S MY EXPRESS VERSION:

1. Put nuts (if using), seeds, coconut, amaranth puffs and cocoa in a bowl and mix well. 
2. Put the coconut oil, orange juice and honey in a small saucepan and heat gently over a low heat until they have all melted together.  Pour over dry ingredients and mix together well.
3. Place spoonfuls of mixture into mini baking cups and place in the fridge until they firm up.