Growing up I loved Cobbers, or Mates as we called them. I am sure many of you can recall walking to your local shop and asking for five cents of choc buds, ten cents of milk bottles, one red skin, one milko, twenty cents of chicos and thirty cents of mates. I spent the most on mates because they were always my favourite.
When I ate the version below I was back there. The sun was shining and I was skipping home with my little white bag and a mouth full of chocolate caramelly deliciousness.
Not Quite Cobbers
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- 16 medjool dates, seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon concentrated natural vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 200 grams dark chocolate, melted*
- Line a loaf tin with baking paper overhanging the sides. Mine measure 19.5cm x 9.5cm
- Place the coconut into your food processor and pulse until it resembles something between a very fine crumb and a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until the dates are completely broken down and the mixture changes from looking and tasting coconutty to looking and tasting caramelly. Press the mixture into your prepared tin. A little oil will rise to the top, there is no need to worry about this. Place the slice into the freezer.
- After approximately 30 minutes remove the tin from the freezer and chop the slice into small cubes. Place the cubes back into the baking paper lined tin and return the cubes to the freezer.
- This is the perfect time to melt your chocolate.
- After 15 minutes grab a handful of the cubes out of the freezer.
- Using a skewer dip each cube into the melted chocolate until well covered, hold it for a moment before popping it into a freezer proof container lined with baking paper. Repeat until all of the cubes have been covered with chocolate. Place the cobbers into the freezer to set completely and to store.
- Eat the cobbers directly from the freezer and instantly become a kid again.
*I used the Green and Blacks Dark Chocolate 85% Cocoa which was half price in my little town this week. I also like the Lindt 90% but I cannot readily get that, I think it must be a city stores line. The vast majority of my friends and family prefer the 70% and this version is certainly the one that most resemble the cobbers I had in my youth.
note – for a date free version you can use this equally delicious recipe for the caramel.
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