Chocolate Fudge Balls

Sometimes you just need a sugar boost and my new philosophy is if you're going to indulge, then you might as well try and make things as healthy as possible.  So I dug out my Chocolate Covered Katie recipe book and decided to give the Anytime Chocolate Fudge Balls a go.  My version actually turned out almost as good as the picture in the book (I forgot to process the chocolate chips so they were a bit chunkier than they should have been!)

These little beauties gain their sweetness from the dates which are packed full of nutrients such as iron, potassium, calcium, dietary fibre and antioxidants to name but a few.  They also contain nuts (again, packed full of nutrients and protein) and shredded coconut which means they take a bit of chewing which makes them a more satisfying snack.  The cacao/cocoa gives another boost of antioxidants.

They're quick to make, don't require any cooking and can be stored in the fridge and average out at about 45 calories each.

Ingredients

3/4 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup raw pecans (I used mixed chop nuts)

2 tablespoons of cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons of shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

small pinch of salt

1 handful of mini chocolate chips (optional)

Method

Combine all ingredients in a high quality food processor* and process until a fine crumble forms.  If the mixture is too dry, add up to 1 tablespoon of water.

Transfer the dough into a resealable plastic bag and smush into a ball.  Open the bag, break off pieces of dough and roll into balls.

Store in a covered container at room temperture for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks (but they probably won't last that long, they taste so good!) or can be frozen for up to 2 months.

* I don't own a food processor but managed to make these by chopping through the dates in a mixing bowl with a sharp knife and using pre-chopped nuts and then more squishing of the dough with a fork