Giving Veganuary a go? You don’t have to skimp on the sweet stuff. This re-creation of a classic dessert is a healthier option, packed with goodies for the heart and brain, such as raw cacao and hazelnuts
Ingredients
For the filling:
• 150g hazelnuts
• 9 medjool dates, pitted, about 180 g
• 30g raw cacao powder
• 40g hazelnut butter or almond butter
• 14 hazelnuts, roasted and peeled
For the coating:
• 50g cacao butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 75g hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and crushed
Method
1 Place all the filling ingredients, except the 14 roasted hazelnuts, in your food processor or blender and pulse together until combined.
2 Line a tray with baking paper. Take about a tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll it into 2.5 cm balls, pushing a roasted hazelnut into the centre of each ball. Place the balls on the tray.
3 Meanwhile, to make the coating, melt the cacao butter in a double boiler set over simmering water. Add the raw cacao powder and maple syrup and whisk everything together until combined and smooth. Cool the mixture.
4 Dip the balls into the chocolate mixture, place them on the tray and set aside until the chocolate has set. Repeat the process 2–3 times or until the balls have a thick coating.
5 Before the final coating sets, roll each ball in the crushed hazelnuts to lightly coat, then return to the tray. Refrigerate for around 10 minutes or until the chocolate has set firmly.
6 Transfer the balls to an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze. These will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, and a couple of months in the freezer.
Recipe courtesy of Kate Bradley, extracted from Bliss Bites
