Thanks to Shweta Agrawal (@merrytummy) for including this festive recipe for sugar-free chocolate barfi, a traditional Indian sweet, in her stunning review of Islands Chocolate.
Let Shweta tell you why you must try her recipe:
Takes only 5 minutes to make
No added sugar
No added fat such as butter, ghee, oil, or cream
Contains the goodness of nuts
A crowd pleaser - it looks so beautiful that no one will believe its homemade
A wonderful gift idea
Ingredients:
1 cup dates
10 almonds
10 cashews
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
6 pieces of Islands 100%, 60% or 85% Dark chocolate
6 pieces of Islands 55% milk chocolate
5 pistachios
Method:
- De-seed the dates and chop finely. Chop the almonds, cashews and pistachios into small chunks.
- Chop three pieces of each milk chocolate and dark chocolate.
- Heat a pan on medium heat and roast the sesame seeds for 1 minute until they release a nutty aroma.
- Add dates in the same pan and keep stirring it. You will see that initially it is very difficult to stir dates, but as they start to release moisture, it will become easier. Continue for around 1 minute.
- Add chopped cashews and almonds and keep stirring. Then, add the chocolate pieces that you did not chop and let them melt with the mixture. Keep stirring for 1 minute until well combined.
- Let the mixture cool down a bit. Once cool enough, use your hands to mix the remaining chunks of chocolate into the mixture. The chocolate may start melting but this is okay, as some chunks will remain.
- Divide the mixture into two parts and shape them into a log. Roll the logs into the chopped pistachios.
- Tightly wrap the logs in aluminium foil and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.
- After 2 hours, remove the foil and cut them into ½ cm thick round discs.
- Extra Note - feel free to add any kinds of nuts or seeds in the recipe such as walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and pecan nuts.