Wagon Wheel Slice

Sometimes I just crave sweetness. I will totally admit, I am a sugar addict. I battle with this every single day.

Every day the little sugar devil on my shoulder just wants me to buy all the lollies and chocolates at the checkout so I’ve done a few things in my life to help me ignore that little whisper in my ear.

1. Never go to the shops hungry. This used to be the worst thing I would do. I would literally start eating junk while I was shopping (keeping the wrappers of course) and not even be registering how much I was eating. And then I would justify buying more ‘treats’ for later on!
2. Eat all the fats. To replace the naughty treats in my life, I started making my own at home – that’s literally how Naked Paleo was born – and they definitely hit the spot. But I could still overindulge on them so I make sure all the treats are packed full of fats. Even though the treats are made with natural sugars from fruits I still want to slow down the sugar rush. Fats are perfect for that so I use coconut oil, cacao butter, chia seeds, seeds, nuts… you name it. Yum! And that’s what you’ll find with our products too.
3. Have self-control. Literally just say no. Lots of people won’t want to hear this but literally just say no. Don’t buy it. Don’t have the crap in your house. If you still decide to put your shoes on, get in the car, drive to the shops and buy the junk, maybe you need to look a little deeper at what’s going on and really ask yourself WHY you want it? Have you not eaten all day? Are you feeling emotional? Are you using it as a reward?
4. Drink more water. This is especially important during the colder months. I like to make myself a big pot of herbal tea and sit with it on my desk while I work or watch TV. That way there’s something in my hand keeping me busy. I am hydrating, and I’m comforted by the warmth.

But if you want to have treats on hand in the house for when cravings do strike, do it! Treat yourself. I’m all about the giving to yourself. You DO deserve to enjoy food and not feel deprived. But make it’s worth it. Make it pretty. Take your time to prepare it properly and it will taste even better.

Plus, you’ll be much less likely to eat the entire thing in 20 mins – I hope – if it took you a couple hours to make.

Jen xx

Wagon Wheel Slice

Makes 12+ serves

GF, DF, paleo, RSF

Prep time + tidy up: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins + 2 hour fridge time

Ingredients:

Base

200g dates – pitted and soaked in warm water for 10 mins

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup almond meal

1/4 cup linseeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Raspberry Chia Jam

200g raspberries fresh or frozen

2 tbsp maple syrup

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup chia seeds

Jelly Layer

1 1/4 cup coconut cream

1 1/2 tbsp gelatin powder

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup raspberries

Chocolate Top

Approx. 200g dark chocolate

Method:

Prepare a 20x20 baking dish with baking paper. I didn’t worry too much about covering every side of the dish, as long as you have enough baking paper sticking out that will allow you to pull out the finished product once it is chilled.

For the Base

Add the dates and coconut oil to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined and holding together.

Empty the mixture into the baking dish and flatten out. Pop in the fridge to chill.

Note: I LOVE to add 10-15 drops of orange essential oil to this base mix. Please just make sure you are using the highest quality essential oil you can get and it’s suitable for internal use. If you are unsure, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

For the Chia Jam

In a pot on a medium heat, add the raspberries, maple syrup and lemon juice. Heat until gently simmering to remove some of the moisture. Simmer for approx. 5 mins stirring regularly.

Remove from heat and stir in the chia seeds and let sit to completely cool and thicken.

Once cooled completely, pour the jam over the chilled base and put back in the fridge to chill further.

For the Jelly Layer

Put 1/4 cup of the coconut cream in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top and mix together a little. Let sit for 5 mins to allow to ‘bloom’.

Meanwhile, put the remainder of the coconut cream, maple syrup and raspberries in a pot over a medium heat. Heat until just about to simmer. I like to break up the raspberries to give the coconut cream a pink colour. You could actually omit the raspberries completely if you want just a white layer.

Remove from heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Stir until completely dissolved. Let cool for about 20 mins then pour over the top of the chia jam layer.

Place in the fridge and let chill for at least 90 mins.

For the Chocolate Top

This top is optional, and I played around with it a little.

You can just melt some good quality chocolate and use that as the top layer of the slice or drizzle over the top in a pretty design or cut the chilled slice into little squares and completely cover them so you end up with little bitesize pieces.

If you just use chocolate, I have found it's best to let the slice warm up just a little before eating and slicing, otherwise, the chocolate will crack and fall off. Alternatively, you could add 1-2 tbsp coconut oil to the melted chocolate mix or 1/2 cup of coconut cream to create a fondant type chocolate which will stay a little softer. Experiment and have fun!

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