Ever find yourself tempted to snack between meals, and picking up a packet of biscuits or something else sweet-loaded to give you a quick sugar rush? Mmm, yes – me too. Try these energy booster balls as a healthier, tastier and ultimately more satisfying alternative.
The recipe is based on one originating from Sainsbury’s Magazine and (as with most things on the ADK blog) has been developed and customised through trial, experience and error.
Servings
This should make around 12 energy balls.
Timings
15 mins to make. They can then be eaten straight away but will taste better eaten cold from the fridge.
You Will Need
- 100g mix of cashews and pistachio nuts
- 150g mix of pitted dates and dried apricots
- a sprinkling of cacao nibs
- a few drops of orange essence
- 4 tablespoons of desiccated coconut
Method
- Finely chop the nuts and the dried fruit. This is better done by hand rather than the food processor, as bitter experience shows the dried fruit makes a real mess of the blade!
- Put the chopped nuts and fruit in a bowl and add the cacao nibs and orange essence. Mix it all together into a sticky paste.
- Pull off a tea spoon sized piece of the mix and roll between your palms into a ball. Roll it then on a plate on which you’ve sprinkled the desiccated coconut, till it’s covered all over, then set aside. Repeat until all the mixture has been used, and you have around a dozen energy balls.
- Place in a sealed container and store in the fridge. Eat within 3 – 4 days.
Customise it!
You can try mixing in other types of nuts or dried fruits. Seeds also go well – the smaller the better so maybe sunflower or chia seeds. Omit the cacao nibs if you wish, and switch the orange essence for another flavour. Rolling in coconut isn’t compulsory, though it adds presentationally and stops the ball sticking to your fingers! Try covering half in coconut and half without. Cocoa powder is another option for a coating, and (with imagination) can help give the illusion that you are eating a truffle.
A Different Kitchen 