Chef John'S Chocolate Energy Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped
2 cups raw cashews
1 cup raw or roasted unsalted almonds
3/4 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Guittard(R) Cocoa Rouge)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cold espresso, or more as needed (or water)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pinch cayenne pepper

Preparation

Place cashews, almonds, coconut, dates, cocoa, coconut oil, vanilla, cold coffee, cayenne and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off to start. Process about 1 minute; check to ensure mixture is sticky and moist enough to stick together. Add more coffee if needed. Continue to process until mixture becomes a chunky mass.
Line a baking pan with plastic wrap. Scoop mixture into pan. Press down with a spatula until mixture is even. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface and smooth again with your hands.
Refrigerate until cold and firm, 2 or 3 hours.
Remove from the pan and unwrap. Cut into bars of your preferred size. Store in a zip top back in the refrigerator.