GUEST BLOGGER: How to Make Raw Date And Nut Squares by Raw Michelle
Raw Michelle is founder of RawFoodHealthWatch.com, bringing raw news, information and recipes for beginners and veterans of the world of raw food.
If you are fond of sweets, much like the majority of individuals on Earth, but you are also trying to somehow integrate them into a healthy, organic diet - then the raw date and nut squares recipe is the perfect thing for you!
Raw date and nut squares are sweet, crunchy, healthy and delicious, and can easily be prepared with a food processor. Unlike any other commercially available processed sweets, this desert can actually benefit your health and provide you with valuable complex sugars that have a low GI and are slowly released into the bloodstream, for a steady influx of energy throughout the day. To make this wonderful dessert, your primary ingredients will be a selection of nuts, oats and dry dates - all of them excellent sources of essential fatty acids, dietary fiber, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.
The squares consist of a crispy crust and a subtle date filling. To prepare the crust, you will be needing one cup of raw almonds, half a cup of raw cashews, half a cup of raw pistachios, one and a half cup of raw oats, 10 dry dates, pitted and chopped, as well as half a cup of coconut oil. The type of oil used is important in the preparation process, as it can alter both the flavor and texture of the squares. However, any type of oil can be used to turn the nuts into a soft paste that sticks. The almonds, cashews and pistachios should be blended together in the food processor for a few minutes, then the oats and oil can be added to begin forming the dessert base. To test how well the mixture sticks together, you can squeeze some of it gently between your fingers. If it crumbles easily, then you should add a bit more oil and process the nuts and oats a little longer. Next, set two thirds of this “dough” into a tray coated with tinfoil, and put one third aside. To evenly distribute the dough, press hard on it with either your hand or the back of a spoon, until a wide and thick crust is formed on the bottom of the tray.
For the filling, you should process around 40 dates with half a cup of water, until you obtain a soft and smooth paste. Make sure, however, that the paste has a low enough viscosity to easily be spread with a spoon over the crust, but that it also isn’t too runny as to drip off the crust. Finding just the right texture for the filling may require a few shots at this recipe, nevertheless, you can easily control the process by gradually adding in water as you blend the dates. After the filling is whipped up, evenly spread it over the crust and seal everything off with the remaining crust mixture you had set aside earlier. The dessert should now look like a large date and nut sandwich! Using a sharp knife, carefully divide it into bite-size squares, then store it in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours. As it cools, the mixtures harden and the squares can be easily separated and served. If you don’t end up eating them all on the spot, note that you can keep them in the fridge, in an air-tight container, for a good few days. Enjoy! 
