I love snacking on dried fruits — mangos, apricots, cherries cranberries, figs and dates are some of my favorites. Right now fresh dates from California are starting to show up in the market, and they are especially popular for holiday treats. A combination of dates, tahini, pecans and dark chocolate come together to create a “no bake” version of date bars that is perfect for a healthy snack.

Dates offer a significant amount of fiber and variety of vitamins and minerals, including iron, potassium, B vitamins, calcium, copper and magnesium. They are a delicious sweet snack and because they are a concentrated source of natural sugars, you need to be careful about overindulging. While people who monitor their blood sugar may need to moderate their intake of dates, one small study found that this stone fruit has a low glycemic index and shouldn’t cause large increases in blood sugar. Dates are often used in baking as a substitute for sweetener.

Tahini is full of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It is a great source of phosphorus and manganese, both of which play vital roles in bone health. It’s also high in thiamine (vitamin B1) and vitamin B6, which are important for energy production . Additionally, about 50% of the fat in tahini comes from monounsaturated fatty acids. These have anti-inflammatory properties and have been linked to a decreased risk of chronic disease.

Pecans are packed with vitamins, protein, healthy fats and fiber. They are a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which help lower blood pressure.

While there is cooking involved, these do not require baking – -they do require time and patience. The result is a healthful and decadent treat. Feel free to substitute pecans with another nut if you prefer. These bars work well with almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts.

No-Bake Chocolate Pecan Tahini Date Bars

Ingredients

3/4 cup (4 ounces) pecan halves
16 fresh, plump jumbo Medjool dates
3/4 cup tahini, well mixed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ounces dark (around 70%) chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
Maldon or other flaky salt

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment or waxed paper. Place the pecan halves on a baking tray and set in the preheated oven for 7 or 8 minutes, until they begin to brown and you can perceive a distinct nutty aroma. Cool.

Meanwhile, remove the round stem cap at the top of the dates, if present, and split the dates to remove the pit, butterflying them open. Lay the dates cut side down, side by side in the bottom of the prepared pan to cover as much of the surface area as possible. Cover with parchment or wax paper. Using the bottom of a flat measuring cup, the back of a large metal spoon, or your fingertips, press the dates to flatten and push them together, leaving no gaps. Make sure to get the dates into the corners of the pan. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the tahini and butter. Set over low heat and cook to melt the butter and liquify the tahini, mixing to combine. Allow to cool about 10 minutes. Pour this mixture evenly over the dates. Scatter the toasted pecans evenly over the surface of the tahini and place the pan in the freezer to set, about one hour.

In a microwaveable bowl, combine the chocolate and the heavy cream. Melt in 15-second increments, stirring between each. (Alternately, you can melt the chocolate with the cream in a double boiler.) Let cool for 5 minutes. Pour the chocolate over the frozen pan of goodness and quickly spread it out evenly with a small offset spatula before it sets. Sprinkle with some flaky salt. Place back in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.

Using the parchment, lift the whole thing out of the pan onto a cutting board. Heat a small knife blade under running hot water and slice into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will last a month or more, longer if frozen. Allow to come back to room temperature for 10 minutes or so before eating.

— By Deborah Binder

Deborah Binder lives in Edmonds with her family. She loves to cook from scratch using produce from the gardens she created and maintains with her husband. She attended culinary school on the East Coast and focused on desserts, pastries and bread. She’s worked for restaurants and caterers in the front and back of the house (kitchen) on both coasts. Her current interest in food is learning to eat for health and wellness, while at the same time enjoying the pleasures of the table. Deborah loves experimenting and developing new recipes. As Julia Child once said, “Everything in moderation including butter.” Deborah can be contacted at jaideborah@yahoo.com.