Notes on chocolate: make it a sweet start to 2025

I have no truck with New Year resolutions and certainly not restrictions at a time of year that is already a bit depressing. I want to tell you about a recipe in a cookery book I got as a present. It’s from Donna Hay’s new tome, Too Easy, because isn’t that what we need at this time of year?

It’s a caramel chocolate slice that has a thick base of cashew butter, then a layer of date-caramel, peanut butter and chopped peanuts all topped with dark melted chocolate. You can store them in the freezer (less temptation) and soften them with a gentle turn in the microwave. The rest of the book is fabulous, too, mostly savoury dishes with some sweet stuff.

If you fancy something healthy-ish, but still very much chocolatey, let me tell you about Solkiki’s organic Apple Cinnamon Oat bites £11 (actually more like fun-size bars). Using dried Dorset and Somerset apples, these are soft, chewy little beauties mixed with raisins, cinnamon, oats, golden syrup and brown sugar which are then hand dipped in Solkiki’s vegan 60% salted caramel chocolate. I love them as a little lunchtime treat.

I’ve mentioned the full-size versions of these at various times before but, talking of lunchtime, if you’re heading back to work soon and take a porta pranzo with you (that’s Italian for packed lunch), something not cheap at this size, but glorious are Pump Street’s mini bars, £3. They are not only delicious but so cute. Eight different permutations that can see you through your first week and a bit of back at work. You deserve it. Happy 2025!