She’s the author of a bestselling cookbook, has nearly one million Instagram followers and is something of a healthy eating guru. Here, Ella Mills – or Deliciously Ella – shares a mid morning snack idea…
“This may not be the most complicated recipe in the book, in fact it may well be the simplest, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the best! This is my go-to snack when I’m hungry and feeling lazy. It’s sweet and satisfying and oh-so-delicious. The caramel-like dates complement the creamy almond butter so well – it’s a match made in heaven.
Almond butter is one of my staples and I use it every day. It just has the most beautifully creamy texture and an amazing rich, nutty flavour. It’s amazing skin food too as it’s bursting with vitamin E, which is essential for a glowing complexion. I like roasting my nuts first as this allows them to blend more easily while also enhancing their flavour.”
Medjool Dates Stuffed With Nut Butter
Makes 12 dates
12 Medjool dates
12 teaspoons nut butter (I like almond butter best, see recipe below)
optional: a sprinkling of raw cacao powder
For the nut butter
2 mugs almonds (400g)
sprinkling of salt
Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C)
Roast the almonds for about 10 minutes, then remove them and allow them to cool for a few minutes
Place the nuts in a food processor* and blend for about 15 minutes with the salt until smooth and creamy. During this time, you might need to scrape the nuts off the side of the processor once or twice
For the stuffed dates
Peel the dates open, without totally cutting them in half, and remove the stones
Place a small teaspoon of nut butter and a sprinkling of cacao powder where the stone was and push the two halves of the date together again
Place the stuffed dates in the fridge to firm up for about an hour and then enjoy
(Any leftover nut butter can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week)
*You really need a strong food processor for this recipe as otherwise it won’t get really smooth and creamy.
Recipe from Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward, out now published by Yellow Kite, £20 © Ella Woodward 2015