Let’s talk about sugar. About how damn good it is when it comes to making things like brownies. But then I’m hypoglycemic, so indulging comes with a mega high, then a mega low incurring anything from feeling faint, irritable, sensitive to sound and light, depending on the severity…

Plus, forgive the complete lack of scientific explanation, it’s kind of responsible for wrinkles from what I understand. So I go through phases of treating myself, getting to the point that my sugar crashes are unmanageable and affecting my life and loved ones, and then I stop for a while… Classic addict behaviour, right? And then recently I met someone who had lost two stone from cutting out sugar. I’m not set on losing weight, but the general health implications are just not that good.

So come last week’s kiddies Halloween party when the sugary-treats-making was batted around parents reluctant to fill their kids up with sugar (yes, fulfilling practically every Hackney parenting cliche, haha!) we said we’d do it. But then I thought I’d make something minus the sugar and keep everyone happy. Kids zooming around on sugar highs is no myth; I’ve seen it happen, although bizarrely not with my own. Gus is a picky eater to the extent that sweets, cakes and biscuits are not the approved foods list – which I guess I should be thankful for!

Anyhow, I left the baking til the last minute, obvs, which was a shame as these brownies only really work once properly cooled down and, IMHO, chilled from the fridge. A Jamie Oliver recipe (just sweetened with dates, btw) which was one of the first that came up when I googled. Super simple, though needs a mixer. We have a mini one, so I quite laboriously did the mixture, which I’d doubled up, in batches! In retrospect, I’d also leave some chunkier bits of chocolate in there, so it’s not so smooth…

• 200 grams baking chocolate (unsweetened chocolate) I used an 85% choc…
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 200 grams pitted dates (about 10 dates)
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. In a food processor, pulse chocolate and baking soda until texture of coarse sand
2. Pulse in dates, then eggs, coconut oil and vanilla
3. Transfer batter into a 20 x 20 centimeter baking dish
4. Bake at 180°C/350°F for 26-30 minutes
5. Cool for 1 hour
6. Serve

Super easy to make and so delicious with a cup of tea – these are fast becoming my mid-morning and late afternoon treats, haha! Let me know if you’ve tried any similar recipes and keep an eye out for no-sugar super simple biscuits, coming soon!