Give me a new ingredient, and I’ll practically move heaven and earth to find a way to use and enjoy it, no matter how unusual or scarce it may be. I make a point to try everything vegan at my disposal at least once, and some of my favorite fresh discoveries have been made this way. Thus, when I first discovered date syrup, the mere concept was irresistibly appealing. Never before had I considered a syrup made solely of those naturally sweet and succulent fruits, and yet it made so much sense- Thank goodness someone thought of the concept and bottlate syed it!
Tasting for all the world like pure dates in liquid form, like one would expect, it pours just like molasses and has a pleasantly demure sweetness, much less in-your-face sugary than agave or maple. Though I can happily see using this as a simple topping on pancakes or even ice cream, I was clamoring to get this nectar into the kitchen to see what it could do in some treats.
Using the deep, molasses-like, earthy flavors to my advantage, I started out by dabbling a bit on the savory side of the street. Truthfully, more like the sweet-and-salty side, these candied cashews are all of the above, and then some. Tangy from a healthy dose of balsamic vinegar, and just a touch spicy thanks to a little pinch of cayenne and paprika, they’ve got it all going on, and are incredibly addictive to boot. Pleasing all realms of the palate, it’s disconcertingly easy to just munch on handfuls of these little morsels while watching a movie or chatting it up with friends.
Thinking more towards healthy sweets, this date syrup seemed like the perfect thing to introduce to a crispy snack bar. Packed with wholesome things like oats, wheat germ, and puffed rice, it’s easy to excuse that little handful of chocolate chips and think of these as health food. Plus, the date syrup keeps things from being tooth-achingly sweet, so it’s hard to feel guilty about these simple little squares. Ideal for packing in a lunch box or taking along for a snack on the road, these will absolutely see a repeat performance in my kitchen sooner or later.
Now I don’t usually share two recipes in one post, but both of these were so incredibly good, I can hardly leave you guys hanging. Just consider it a little “thank you” gift for being so patient while I got my school situation under control!
These candied cashews are tangy from a healthy dose of balsamic vinegar and just a touch spicy thanks to a little pinch of cayenne and paprika. All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates. Packed with wholesome things like oats, wheat germ, and puffed rice, it’s easy to excuse that little handful of chocolate chips and think of these as health food. Plus, the date syrup keeps things from being tooth-achingly sweet, so it’s hard to feel guilty about these simple little squares. All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.Sweet and Salty Balsamic Cashews
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 224Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 270mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 6g Double Date Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
25
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 108Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 53mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g