Toffee Pops

Toffee Pops are a firm favourite in most New Zealand and Australian households. If you're not from Aus/Kiwiland, a Toffee Pop is a chocolate-covered biscuit/cookie with a caramel filling and they are GLORIOUS. What they are not, however, is gluten, dairy or refined sugar-free - in fact, they're about as far from real food as you can get. 

While these may look fiddly to make, they are actually surprisingly easy and I made a special effort to keep each element as simple (but delicious) as possible. If you're feeling extra lazy or low on time, you can even melt a block of dark chocolate in place of making your own for the chocolate shell.

NUTRITION BITES

Dates make for a lovely whole-food sweetener as, unlike table sugar, they contain a range of minerals, particularly potassium but also traces of iron, magnesium, calcium, copper and manganese. Additionally, they are rich in fibre (6-12%) and add body to the divine caramel filling in this recipe.

These bikkies are...

• Texturally abundant, with a crisp chocolate shell, crunchy biscuit base and smooth caramel centre,

• The perfect treat for kids and adults alike, and...

• So good, you may never want a regular Toffee Pop again.

TOFFEE POPS

Makes: 16 large biscuits
Time to make: 40 mins + chill time
Equipment required: high speed blender, double boiler or heatproof bowls

FOR THE OAT COOKIE BASE

- 2 cups oats, blended into a flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 big pinches salt
- 4 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 100g maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract

FOR THE COCONUT CARAMEL

- 1 cup medjool dates (about 10 large), soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes*
- 1/4 cup cashew butter*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- Big pinch salt
- 1 tbsp maple syrup

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SHELL*

- 50g cacao butter, chopped
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Pinch salt

THE HOW TO

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Begin by making the oat cookies. Simply whisk together the dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, salt and coconut) before stirring through the maple syrup and vanilla. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper to about the thickness of the metal tip of a pen (3-5mm). Cut out with a 7cm round cookie cutter or cup before transferring to a lined baking tray. Bake for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool while you prepare the other elements.

3. To get the chocolate shell underway, simply place cacao butter and coconut oil over a double boiler. Set aside to melt completely, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, make the coconut caramel. Drain the water off the dates before adding them to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend on high until super smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Set aside.

5. Back to the chocolate shell - once the cacao butter and coconut oil have melted, whisk through the cacao powder, followed by the maple syrup and salt. Leave the chocolate over the double-boiler while you're assembling the cookies, as this will make it easier to work with (replace the water with freshly boiled water if necessary).

6. To assemble - top each oat biscuit with a heaped tablespoon of coconut caramel, spreading evenly to the edges with a knife. Place on a plate and freeze for at least 30 minutes (this will make them easier to coat in the chocolate). Lower each caramel-topped biscuit into the chocolate with a fork, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Place each coated biscuit back on the plate and allow to set in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.

7. Store in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to a month (defrost in the fridge before eating).

RECIPE NOTES *

• Can't source cacao butter or can't be bothered making your own chocolate? Melt a block or two of your favourite dark chocolate over a double boiler and use that instead.

• I love using cashew butter in the caramel because it doesn't overpower the dates, but you could absolutely use any other nut butter of your choosing.

• As lovely as medjool dates are, they sure are expensive - a cup of dried baking dates that have been soaked would also work here as a budget-friendly alternative, although the caramel may not be as smooth.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gemma is a fertility and women’s health naturopath in Auckland, New Zealand. She is a mother to 3-year-old Laura and an avid (perhaps slightly obsessive) cook. In her spare time, you’ll find her rummaging through her cookbook collection, hitting up local restaurants or pottering in the veggie garden.