Aoife Noonan is taking over Ireland's foodie scene as executive Pastry Chef of John Farrell’s restaurant empire. On Today with Maura and Dáithí, Aoife shared her recipe for these drop-dead-gorgeous Quinoa Caramel Squares.
Ingredients:
- 25g Uncooked Quinoa
- 100ml Boiling Water 60ml Maple Syrup
- 80g Pitted Dates ½ tsp Sea Salt
- 130g Smooth Peanut Butter
- 100g 70% Dark Chocolate, chopped

Method:
- To melt the chocolate, fill a pan with water and put the pan on a high heat.
- Make the popped quinoa by putting a medium sized saucepan on a medium heat.
- When the pan is hot, add the quinoa and put a lid on the saucepan. Shake the pan to agitate the quinoa and trigger the popping, continuing to cook only briefly until the popping starts and then begins to fade.
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour the quinoa out onto a baking tray to cool.
- Put the dates in a bowl with some of the hot water from the pan and leave to soak for a few minutes to soften.
- 6. Place the chocolate in a bowl over the pan of water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Leave to melt gently while making the caramel filling.
- Put the maple syrup, peanut-butter, drained dates and salt in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
- Meanwhile, line a square tin with parchment paper and set aside.
- Tip the quinoa pops into a large bowl and add the date paste. Using clean hands or a latex glove, mix the quinoa pops with the paste until fully combined.
- Press the mix into the lined tin and smooth the edges using a spoon. Put the tin in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to set.
- Check the chocolate is fully melted by stirring with a spatula until smooth and glossy.
- Remove the tin from the freezer and pour the chocolate over the set mix, spreading to smoothen.
- Place the tin in the fridge or freezer again until the chocolate has set before cutting into squares.
Equipment:
- 2 x Medium Saucepans (1 with lid)
- Food Processor Large Mixing Bowl (Quinoa)
- Small bowl (Dates)
- Glass Bowl/Medium metal bowl (Chocolate)
- Serving Plate 2 x Spatulas Parchment Paper
- Fridge/Freezer
- Baking Tray
- Chopping Knife