Spiced Caramel Nutty Biscuit Bites - Bakemas Day 14

You will need
55g/2 oz margarine/butter
30g/1 oz muscovado sugar
85g/3 oz plain flour
110g/4 oz dates
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp mixed spice
Mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruit
50g/2 oz 70% dark chocolate

First make the shortbread.
Preheat the oven 160C/325F/Gas 3
Put the margarine, sugar and flour in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips to create a breadcrumb like consistency, knead gently to bring together and form a dough.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 0.5cm/¼ inch thick and cut out 2-2 ½ inch circles. Re-roll until all the dough is used up. Place the biscuits on a baking tray covered with greaseproof paper and bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Leave to cool on a rack.

While the shortbread is cooling but the dates in a bowl and pour boiling water over and leave to soak for 10-15 minutes. Once soaked, drain the water and blend the dates in a food processor or with a hand blender until smooth then mix in the cinnamon and mixed spice.
Once the biscuits have cooled spread on the spiced date paste then top with nuts seeds and dried fruit of your choice, I used pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. Lastly melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top.