Sweetie Balls

Sometimes the tastebuds just want a good hit of SWEET! These yummy little balls are not only raw, made with nuts and dried fruits, they rank about a 12 on the 10 scale of satisfying that clamoring tastebud. Easy to make, the ingredients are all things that reside in my raw pantry.

In a food processor, pulverize:

1/2 c. organic raisins

3/4 c. walnuts

1/2 c. dried pitted dates (Medjool are perfect for this recipe)

1/2 c. dried apricots, unsulphered (OR, use dried FIGS - my preference!)

2 T. fresh squeezed orange juice

zest from one orange (microplane is the tool to reach for...)

Process a few minutes,until the mixture clumps together. If your fruits are especially dry, you may start the processing, let it set for 30 minutes to soak, then continue to process until it gobs up.

Place about 2/3 c. dry unsweetened shredded coconut on a saucer. Roll the fruit/nut mixure into small balls (about a tsp.), roll in the coconut,

Store the balls in one layer in a sealable container.

Just one of these little sweeties is so very satisfying. Chewy, lovely flavor with a zing from the orange zest.

It's not hard to pass up the chocolate bars with this in hand...honest!

Great Balls o' Fire!

OK, so the song title dates me...but I couldn't resist, 'cuz these balls are so full of ENERGY!


If you've ever indulged in LaraBars, you will appreciate this "recipe". I use the word lightly, because it's more a matter of ratio.

RECIPE: 1 part "wet", to 3 parts "dry".


It was fun to check out a couple of LaraBars and come up with similar flavors. The Lemon bar and the Apple Pie bar looked like a good place to start.

This was a project for the most recent Raw101 Uncooking class I've been teaching monthly over the summer. The topic for this class was "Sweeties". Dividing the students into three groups with three different bags of ingredients/recipes to choose from has been a fun way to do a sort of Raw Iron Chef! The group that got the red bag made Truffles, and these great energy balls.

Each ball recipe began with 1cup of dates pulsed to a paste. Then the 3 cups of dry ingredients are worked in by hand, to form a nutty glob. Bits are pinched off, rolled into balls, then rolled in sesame seeds if desired. Expect to have really sticky gooey hands, but you get to nibble off the bits and pieces that stick to your hands - yum!

In the small balls we used some Young Living Lemon Essential Oil for the lemon flavor along with some microplaned lemon peel. TASTY!! The nuts used were cashews, macadamias and almonds.

The larger balls used a different combination for the 3 c. of dry ingredients: pumpkin seeds, raw sunnies, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds,
diced dried apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of vanilla.

These are great treats, handy for hikers (wrap individually to keep in pockets), great for mid-day pick-me-up, lunch on the go, or whatever excuse you can think of to enjoy a healthy, delish bit of crunch and sweetness!

Strawberry Macaroons!!

Browsing the web for raw recipes can get to be overwhelming - there is so much info out there now, and a plethora of recipes and concepts of raw. But there a few sites I can count on.

One is Raw-mazing, with Susan Powers. Her concepts are sane, her recipes delicious - ranging from simple to elegant - and I always come away from her site feeling good! What more could a raw foodie ask?

I choose her CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY MACAROONS to share at our last Raw Potluck. They were a definate hit, not a crumb left. Easy to make, too!


STRAWBERRY MACAROONS

Dice: fresh strawberries to measure 1 c. - set aside.

Mix in bowl: 1 c. almond flour/meal
1/4 c. raw maple syrup
1/4 c. agave
1/4 c. coconut butter, softened
pinch sea salt
2 c. dried unsweetened coconut, fine shred

Stir in berries. Shape cookies with teaspoon onto fine mesh screen. Dehydrate at 140 degrees 30 minutes then at 116 degrees for 3 - 5 hours. I like chewy macaroons, so I just did about 3 hours. They firm up as they cool, too, so take that into account. While warm from drying, dip in chocolate. Place on waxed paper on try, chill until chocolate sets. Serve on platter sprinkled with more shredded coconut, keeps chocolate from sticking.

CHOCOLATE DIP

Whisk together: 1/2 c. raw cacao powder (or carob, or mixture of both; carob tames the
intense cacao)
1/2 c. agave
1/4 c. cacao butter, melted

Make the chocolate just before ready to dip cookies - if it is made ahead, it can stiffen. Warm gently, or add a bit more agave. (Do NOT add water, it sets up chocolate.)

This recipe made two platters the size as seen in the photo. I left some undipped for those who don't care for chocolate. Philistines.

These are worthy of any fancy dinner or afternoon ladies tea!