Mini “Sneakers” chocolate recipe by Pana Chocolate!

Yes, that’s ‘sneakers’, not … you know. A much-loved staple at the Pana Chocolate shops, our sneakers bar is a twist on the commercial favourite. This dreamy pairing of nuts, caramel and cacao is chock full of crunch and sweetness. We’ve used tahini to create a yummy, firm caramel and added some activated almonds for a textural crunch. The caramel is piped into individual chocolate moulds here, but you can also use it for the topping of any raw dessert.

Makes: approximately 14 small chocolates

Time: 20 minutes preparation, plus 2 hours setting time Equipment: high-speed blender, bain-marie, tray

Ingredients

50 g (13⁄4 oz) tahini

4 medjool dates, pitted

1 tablespoon filtered water

1 tablespoon coconut nectar

50 g (13⁄4 oz) coconut butter

juice of 1⁄2 lemon

pinch of Himalayan pink salt

42 activated almond halves

3 × 45 g (11⁄2 oz) bars of Pana Chocolate Raw Cacao, broken into pieces

Method

Blend all ingredients except the nuts and chocolate in a high- speed blender until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl or tray and refrigerate to firm up a little.

Once firm, remove the mixture from the fridge and weigh out 50 g (13⁄4 oz) portions.
Roll each portion into a 20 cm (8 in) sausage.
Place 3 almond halves on top of the end of one sausage, then cut a slice at the end of the last almond placed. Repeat until all mixture and almonds have been used, then place the bars on a tray in the freezer to firm up a little.

Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie.
Using a fork, dip each bar into the chocolate, turning to completely coat, then tap o the excess chocolate and place onto a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with all the bars, then transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours to set further. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Although the UK don’t have a dedicated Pana Chocolate cafe (sad times), you can buy their new book, Pana Chocolate – The Recipes, which you can buy here!

Pana Chocolate, The Recipes by Pana Barnounis (Hardie Grant, £16.99 ) Photography © Armelle Habib