Fig cacao balls

Thank you for your birthday wishes to Mini Bite. She has become an expert at spotting presents and cards, although is still just as interested in the paper (and more specifically, trying to eat the paper) than what may be hidden within.

With her birthday over and my sister returned to Australia (sob), normal routines are returning. I made these fig cacao balls during my sister's visit but they could just as easily be slotted into a normal weekend - the preparation time is minimal, they keep well, and they are easy to eat. They were even well received by Mr Bite, who supposedly doesn't like nuts or figs!

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Vegan peanut butter cacao truffle balls - no food processor required

Do you like peanut butter cups (vegan or otherwise)? Yes, me too. However, they are pretty sickly sweet. Even with my capacity to put away a whole heap of chocolate, eating more than two of the commercial sort would leave me feeling a bit unwell. Homemade versions help offset the sugar hit (I've posted a vegan recipe before) but they can be a bit fiddly.

These cacao peanut butter balls keep the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter, but cut out the sickly sweet aspect of commercial peanut butter cups, and avoid the fiddliness of homemade versions. They are a decidedly grown up, adult, semi-sweet treat that you can make in about 5 minutes. Win-win!

I adapted these from the peanut butter cacao energy balls I posted 2 years ago. In truth, the adaptations are minor, but these truffles are more peanut butter-y than my previous recipe and less fruity (the 2015 version had dried cranberries and goji berries). I like both versions and encourage you to figure out which one you prefer.

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Orange hemp energy balls

It has been a long time between hemp seed recipes. Indeed, it has been a long time since I have had hemp seeds in my kitchen. I am pleased to have a bag on the go again now and suspect you will see more recipes featuring the seeds before too long.

I like hemp seeds for lots of reasons, including, if I'm honest, their amusing hippy connotations. I feel a bit like I should be living in a commune and wearing tie dyed clothes when I use them. They are also from the same species as cannabis and so (to a closeted, non-adventurous soul) it feels rather daring to pick them up in a local store. Those points aside, hemp seeds are fantastically nutritious - rich in healthy fats, protein, iron, and a whole host of vitamins and minerals. They also have a nutty, earthy flavour that I very much enjoy.

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Mango cashew cookie balls {vegan + no bake}

I am a big fan of raw fruit and nut truffle balls, but sometimes I like to mix things up a little. These no bake cookie balls take the classic fruit and nut combination - mango and cashew in this case - but add oats and banana to the mix. The result? Soft, chewy cookie balls that are eminently satisfying yet full of whole food nutrition.

With mango and banana in the ingredient list, these could also have been titled 'tropical cookie balls'. They taste of sunshine regardless of what the weather is doing outside. A version with dried pineapple would be equally delicious, or you could use half mango and half pineapple.

These are softer than pure fruit and nut balls but hold together if kept in the fridge. Or alternatively phrased, they are squishable but won't fall apart on you!

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Chocolate sweet potato cheesecake truffles

For inexplicable reasons I attribute to breastfeeding, I have recently craved vegan cheese. This is inexplicable because cheese rates as one of my least favourite foods and has done since childhood (with odd pre-vegan exceptions, like soft cheeses with dried fruit in them). With these cravings I have bought Tesco soya cream cheese and the new Sainsbury's coconut-based cheddar cheese (or Gary as it's popularly known). I can say with some confidence that the Sainsbury's dairy free cheddar must be close to its dairy counterpart, because despite my craving I don't like it very much! I've had it on toast and on pizza and whilst it's tolerable in my current cheese-friendly state, it's not likely to feature in my kitchen regularly.

The soya cream cheese, on the other hand, was a nice discovery. I like it in sandwiches with spinach and jam (not together!) and it allowed me to make a vegan carrot cake with cream cheese icing. I don't know if my enjoyment of the product means it tastes different to dairy versions, as per my love of vegan cheesecakes but dislike of the traditional sort, or if my taste buds are acting out of the ordinary. Regardless, I'm enjoying the tub while I have it.

These chocolate sweet potato cheesecake truffles are a seasonally appropriate use of the soya cream cheese. Pumpkin could also be substituted if you are on the autumn pumpkin bandwagon. You probably know me well enough by now to realise that once I enjoy a flavour combination (like chocolate and sweet potato in my last post) I want it again - which is why I'm sharing sweet potato recipes in quick succession. Whether you use pumpkin or sweet potato, it's not a bad system to hide vegetables in cheesecake form.

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Cacao pecan truffle balls

When I shared my recent round-up of chocolate recipes, I realised I was quite some time since I'd shared a new chocolate snack or dessert. There was hot chocolate a month ago, but my last really chocolatey recipes were in December. Too long! These cacao pecan truffle balls are to make up for lost time.

These balls differ to previous ones I've made by virtue of using pecans (in my view one of the most decadent and delicious nuts out there), raisins instead of dates (which I think give a more truffle-like texture), and both cacao powder and cacao nibs. They're easy to make and very pleasing to eat.

Pecans are a rather expensive nut so if you prefer, you could substitute almonds or walnuts for half of the nut quantity. However, I recommend keeping at least 1/2 cup of pecans because they really do make these truffles a little more special.

Cacao pecan truffle balls

Easy, delicious and beautifully chocolatey

Vegan

Makes about 20 balls

Food processor required

Author: Bite-sized thoughts

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 cup pecan nuts

1 cup raisins / sultanas

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp cacao nibs

Method

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the mixture is smooth and clumping together. 

Roll dessertspoons of the mixture between your hands to form individual truffle balls. The balls can be eaten straight away but are best after an hour or so in the fridge.

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays.

What snacks are you enjoying at the moment?

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Tahini chocolate oat balls (vegan, one bowl, no food processor required)

These energy balls are not hugely different to recipes I've shared before (their closest counterparts being peanut butter cacao energy balls, cinnamon peanut butter oat bites and chocolate fudge bites) but they managed to be just different enough. It's amazing how you can combine such a small number of ingredients and get such delicious, fully-flavoured results. These showcase natural foods to decadent perfection and they make extremely satisfying snacks!

The ingredient list is pretty much summed up in the post title, with the exception of liquid sweetener, which I used in the form of Sweet Freedom low GI sweetener. I have mentioned the Sweet Freedom Choc Shot sauce before and was pleased to recently spot this syrup in their range. It's made entirely from fruit extracts and carob and I think it tastes like a cross between maple syrup, rice malt syrup and molasses.

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Peanut butter cacao energy balls, with berries and coconut {vegan, no bake + no food processor}

I know I say this every time I share a new treat ball recipe, but this latest version really is very good! The ingredient list alone makes me swoon, with cacao nibs as well as cocoa powder, goji berries, dried cranberries, and coconut - as well as the all important peanut butter. When mixed together, the result is just as delicious as it sounds. I particularly like the contrasting texture of cacaco nibs and goji berries against a creamy peanut butter base.

Another advantage of this recipe is that you don't require a food processor. By starting with peanut butter instead of whole nuts, you can make these in a single mixing bowl. They don't need refrigeration to set either. It doesn't get any easier!

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Chocolate, hazelnut and cranberry truffle balls {London marathon fundraising}

It has been far too long between fruit and nut truffle recipes. These go some way to making up for lost time. I think they are now amongst my favourite truffles (although I have a tendency to say that with all new truffle ball recipes!). The mix of hazelnut, cocoa, dried cranberries and coconut is gorgeously balanced, and utterly delicious.

Alas, my running this week has not been quite as perfect. I discovered the meaning of "hitting the wall" last Saturday, when I had an experience at mile 17 (of an intended 21) that I hope not to repeat in a hurry. My legs didn't want to move, I felt light headed and dizzy, and I wanted to sit on the pavement and cry. Having run 20 miles the week before, it was a disconcerting experience, only offset slightly by coming down with some kind of virus since. I'm glad to have a possible reason for my Saturday experience, but being unwell means I've missed some shorter runs too. I'm trying to remember that one disrupted week of training won't make or break the marathon, but it is frustrating.

Hopefully next week will bring full health and a smoother long run. In the meantime, these aren't a bad way to top up energy levels, irrespective of physical health.

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Vegan chocolate ganache truffles {London marathon fundraising}

I think I need to start this post with a disclaimer: these are not my usual wholefood truffles. These are the real thing. Rich, creamy, sweet, and incredibly decadent. They give Lindt lindor balls some competition.

The key ingredient for the decadence is soy cream. My purchase of said cream is an example of foolish impulse buying (as my regular readers will know, I don't like cream or creamy products!). I saw the soy cream, thought "wow, vegan cream", threw it in the shopping trolley, and then left it in the cupboard for months without a clue what to do with it.

Truffles provided an excellent solution.

 

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Chai spiced chocolate truffles

Do you think it's too early to start Christmas themed posts? Usually I reserve anything Christmassy until December, but London is starting to seem rather festive and, if I'm honest, I rather like it.

If you are Christmas inclined, these truffle balls are perfect for the holiday season. However, they are also perfect for anytime, so you don't have to be in the Christmas spirit to enjoy them. These are surprisingly like commercial chocolate truffles, but are fruit and nut based and coated in cocoa powder (and lucuma powder in my pictures) rather than a solid chocolate coating.

The chai flavours here are subtle but enjoyable, and come from brewed black chai tea and extra mixed spice and vanilla. I thought afterwards that some chilli would have been nice too, so if you like chilli chocolate, that could be an enjoyable twist to try. Of course, you could also choose to coat these in solid chocolate if you prefer your truffles that way.

These are best stored in the fridge, but are firm enough to be packaged up in layers if you want to put together gift boxes. They will also stay firm if left at room temperature for a while, so you can put them out for people to nibble on and not worry that they will collapse!

Chai spiced chocolate truffles

Delicately spiced truffle balls that are perfect for the holiday season, or any season

Makes about 24 truffle balls

Vegan

Allow at least 4 hours for preparation

Food processor required

Author: Bite-Sized Thoughts

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 cup (250ml) strong chai tea, made with hot water and a tea bag or tea leaves (no milk)

1 cup (140g) sultanas or raisins

1 cup (140g) raw almonds

1/2 tsp mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice, or 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Cocoa powder or other powders, extra, for coating (I used a mix of cocoa and lucuma)

Method

Allow the chai tea to brew for at least 15 minutes, and then add the sultanas/raisins to the tea mixture and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes. 

Transfer the tea and sultanas/raisins to a food processor along with the almonds. Process until the ingredients are finely ground and starting to clump together (due to the tea, the mixture will be easier to process and quite moist compared to standard fruit/nut truffles).

Add the mixed spice, vanilla and cocoa powder to the food processor and process to incorporate. 

Place the truffle mix in the fridge for approximately 30 minutes to firm up.

When the truffle mix has refrigerated for 30 minutes, place your preferred truffle coatings (cocoa powder / lucuma powder / coconut) in separate small bowls. Use a teaspoon to scoop out small truffle balls, and then roll in your hands to shape. Coat in your powder of choice and set aside. Repeat for the remaining balls.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tell me - are you in the mood for Christmas yet, or is this just too early (I know Americans still have Thanksgiving to come!)?

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No bake cinnamon peanut butter oat bites

This is my first recipe from my new kitchen. It seems an oddly significant moment! With few utensils or appliances, it was never going to be a complicated recipe. These no-bake, bite-sized balls seem a fitting extension of my love of raw fruit and nut truffles, but this time with oats as a star player and no food processor required.

Our online food order arrived during the week, which means our kitchen cupboards are full rather than bare. I now have three nut butters (peanut, hazelnut and almond), and lots of other things besides. I still don't have a flour selection happening, but I do at least have spices.

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Vegan cherry ripe balls, for Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day in Australia today, and I believe in the US and Canada too. After a week of intense rain (when Perth rains, which granted is not all that often, it really rains!), we had a gorgeous autumn day with blue skies and sunshine.

Mundaring Weir, Perth hills

We celebrated the day with a picnic at Mundaring Weir, about an hour east of Perth. It was a lovely outing and we were even graced by kangaroos at our picnic spot.

Spot the kangaroos...

There are a number of dishes I'd like to share from the picnic, but for today, I am highlighting these cherry ripe balls. They are surprisingly reminiscent of commercial Cherry Ripe chocolate bars, but with far fewer ingredients.

 

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Peach and hemp snack balls

I have had these snack balls in mind for a while now. In fact, I bought the dried peaches over a month ago. Somehow, it has taken until now to make them - a slightly ridiculous time frame given they take about 5 minutes to prepare.

I am glad I did eventually get to these, because they delivered exactly what I was hoping for. The peach provides the dominant flavour, but hemp seeds and puffed cereal mellow out the sweetness and give texture contrast too. These are a little lighter to eat than traditional fruit and nut balls, but are just as satisfying.

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Orange and almond cake, and orange chocolate truffle balls

I am picturing the horror that this post title will send through orange haters, and can only apologise even as I smile at the thought of your reaction. For those of you who think oranges are best served whole, and never paired with chocolate, feel free to look away. For the rest of you? Settle in and enjoy.

Whole oranges, pureed

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Vegan coconut banana chocolate truffles

Yesterday, I had a ripe banana on the kitchen counter and some cooked chickpeas in the fridge. In other words, nothing too unusual.

Instead of freezing the banana and eating the chickpeas plain, I turned them into...these. 

I know. I think I made the right choice too.

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Gingerbread truffle balls (vegan and high raw)

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but...it's been 5 months since my last truffle ball recipe.

Fortunately, today's post goes some way towards making up for lost time. In fact, these might be my new favourite truffle balls. How can I not love something that is so easy to make and yet tastes so very much like gingerbread?

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Carrot-hazelnut-molasses truffle balls

I have recently ventured into cooking and experimenting with blackstrap molasses. It's an ingredient I'm familiar with, but not one I've bought or used for many years.

As far as sweeteners go, blackstrap molasses punches above its weight. It is made from sugar cane after a process of three boilings: the first (boiling juice from the cane sugar) gives cane syrup, the second (boiling the cane syrup) gives a preliminary form of molasses, and the third (boiling molasses) gives what is generally known as blackstrap molasses. By this stage, most of the sugar from the original cane sugar plant has been crystallised and removed through the repeated boiling. Of course, blackstrap molasses is still predominantly sugar - but because the crystallised sugar has been lost, it is higher in vitamins and minerals than many other sweeteners. One tablespoon provides about 3.5mg of iron, which equates to 20% of the daily requirements for adult women. One tablespoon also provides 10-20% of daily requirements for calcium, magnesium and potassium. 

If you cook or bake with molasses, it would be difficult to achieve your iron requirements just by substituting molasses in for other sweeteners. It does have a distinctive taste, and if you are baking a plain vanilla cake, using molasses instead of white sugar will probably not achieve your desired outcome. Given it is a sugar variant, relying on it as your main source of iron would also be problematic! However, I am enjoying it as an addition to my pantry and have been adding the occasional tablespoon to oats or smoothies.

These truffle balls are my first foray into using molasses as an ingredient in an actual recipe, and they have piqued my interest in experimenting more. As with all truffle balls, they are easy to make. The flavour is distinctive, with the hazelnuts and molasses each coming through. It is a different sweetness to using dates or agave / maple syrup, but an enjoyable one. I used purple carrots (thus the colour!) and suspect that regular orange carrots would give a slightly sweeter result. However, I liked the depth of flavour and darker tones that came with the purple variety. 

I won't go so far as to recommend these as a health treat (aside from anything else, that might put you off). I will, however, promote them as a treat that tastes good and has a high-quality ingredient list.

Carrot-hazelnut-molasses truffle balls

Easy to make and easy to eat; also versatile if you want to change any of the ingredients.

Makes about 16 truffle balls.

Vegan.

Print recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup grated purple (or orange) carrot (equates to 1 small carrot before grating)

1/2 cup (100g) raw hazelnuts

1/2 cup (50g) rolled oats

2 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dessicated coconut, for coating (optional)

Method

Process the hazelnuts and grated carrot in a food processor until the hazelnuts are finely ground. Add the rolled oats, molasses and cinnamon and process until the mixture starts to clump together, about 2 minutes.

Roll into small balls, coat in dessicated coconut if desired, and chill in the fridge for approximately 2 hours before eating. Store in the fridge.

For more information on blackstrap molasses, see its entry on the World's Healthiest Foods list; its mention as a source of iron in the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's article on iron; and Gina's post and raisin-almond-molasses balls at Choosing Raw.

I am sending these to Ricki's Wellness Weekend March 7th to 11th 2013.

Do you use molasses regularly? Or have any favourite ways to use it?

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Raw pear and cashew balls (and a new blog header)

I made these balls before Christmas, but in the frenzy of Christmas themed posts and New Year summaries they got left behind until now. This is a little unfair, as they are delightful balls and would have been a happy accompaniment to other Christmassy snacks. It is fortunate that they are the sort of snack that suits consumption at any time of the year. Indeed, if you are heading back to work this week or next (I return tomorrow, which gives a one-day work week!), they would be a good match for 3pm snack urges.

I don't much like cashews plain, but have discovered that they go very nicely in fruit and nut balls like these. This pear version follows my earlier papaya and cashew balls, and pineapple and cashew balls. Pear isn't as strong in flavour as papaya or pineapple, but it matches the cashews nicely all the same.

Pear and cashew balls

Raw and vegan

You will need a food processor for this recipe

Makes about 20 small balls

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried pear pieces (about 150g)

1/2 cup raw cashews (about 75g)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Scant 1/4 cup dessicated coconut (about 15g)

Method

Roughly chop the dried pear, and then add to a food processor together with the cashews, vanilla and coconut. Process until finely ground and the mixture clumps together.

Roll into small balls and set in the fridge for about an hour. Best served cold.

In other news, and as at least one of you has already seen, Bite-Sized Thoughts has a new header. I am rather in love with it but please let me know if it looks odd in your browser (I have checked Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox but not Mac varieties).

There are a few other organisational changes in the works too, designed to streamline finding information, but I will update on those when they are finalised. If the blog disappears at random, you will know that my efforts backfired and I organised things into oblivion!

I'm submitting these snack balls to Ricki's Wellness Weekend 3rd - 7th January 2013, 
and to Heather's new link up event of Raw Foods Thursday, 3rd January 2013,

Tell me - cashews, yes or no?
And if you work, when do you head back?

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Christmas food ideas 2012: Chocolate, almond and goji berry truffle balls

This is my first Christmas-focused post for 2012, and it seems fitting that I should start with chocolate. Never let it be said that I don't have my priorities straight. These chocolate, almond and goji berry truffle balls could be packaged up as an edible Christmas gift, or served as part of a Christmassy dessert. Alternatively, you could just make them and eat them yourself. I won't judge.

The inspiration for these truffles came from Hannah's recent post on Pana's (previously Conscious Chocolate) raw coconut and goji chocolate, over at Wayfaring Chocolate. I had seen the chocolate in a few health food stores near me, but always resisted buying it on account of the price and a lack of certainty over whether I would like it. After reading Hannah's post I was sure I would like it, but the price remained an issue. Having recently spent a small fortune on coconut ice cream, expensive raw / vegan chocolates are temporarily off limits.

Given this, I thought I would make a truffle ball equivalent. Except I then left coconut out, which means these aren't really an equivalent at all. Nonetheless, they are very good.

I found these truffle balls to taste a bit like chocolate brownies, but with a hint of goji berry. They are chewy and chocolatey and sweet in the way that truffle balls manage to be - not cloying, not sickly, and not artificial. I liked them a lot.

You do need to like goji berries to like these, but dried cherries or cranberries would work well as an alternative if goji berries aren't your thing.

Chocolate, almond and goji berry truffle balls

Quick, easy, delicious and perfect for Christmas

Vegan and high raw

Makes 28 small balls or (wait for it) a smaller number of larger balls

Print recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup raw almonds (~75g)
1/2 cup pitted dates (~75g or 16 dates), roughly chopped
1/4 cup goji berries (~37g)
1/4 cup cocoa powder (~37g)
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch sea salt

1/2 - 1 tsp water, if needed

Method

Combine all ingredients except the water in a food processor and process until combined, about 3 minutes. Add water gradually if needed, until the mixture clumps together and forms a ball.

Roll the mixture into about 28 small balls (~ teaspoon-sized serves) and then refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Store in the fridge but serve either from the fridge or at room temperature.

I ate this batch myself (for taste testing purposes, you understand) but think I will be making another set to share before Christmas. The fact that they can be made quickly and in advance is another bonus, and unlike some truffle balls I've made they hold their texture well out of the fridge.

Submitted to Ricki's Wellness Weekend 6th - 10th December 2012.

Have you started Christmas food preparations (or, for you particularly organised people, nearly finished them!)?

How do you feel about goji berries?

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