CHOCOLATE PEPITAS

So last time we were home in Australia, the hubs picked up a bag of chocolate coated pepitas at the store. Loved them. Munched through a few bags while we were there. Bought several bags to bring back to Dubai with him. Munched through those. Wasn’t until the last serving in the last bag that he read the ingredients and realised sugar was the second ingredient on the list after pepitas. Whoops. Moral of the story? The husband person clearly disregards everything I bang on about and fell for the old “these are in the health food section, therefore are definitely healthy” chestnut. Well, I was faced with 2 options. Start divorce proceedings or make up my own recipe to replicate his new favourite snack. I went for second option. Divorce seemed a little extreme, and ain’t nobody got time for Tinder in your forties.

Method

Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the pumpkin seeds out on it in one layer.

Bake for 15 minutes.

While they’re baking, mix together all other ingredients in a bowl, making sure the coconut sugar and coffee grounds are dissolved.

Pour the baked pumpkin seeds into the chocolate mixture and stir through, coating them all.

Tip the mixture bake onto the baking paper, spreading out into one layer best you can, then pop back in the oven for another 10 minutes at 150 degrees celsius.

Remove from oven and let cool on tray. The seeds become crunchy and the chocolate hardens on cooling. When almost cool, mix them about, breaking any biggish lumps and store in an airtight container.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon cacao powder
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground coffee
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon water