3pm Power Balls

These power balls are a perfect treat when you need a little something to keep you going. You can chop and change the ingredients to suit your tastes. I often add goji berries for a nice burst of colour and flavour. I like things really chocolately so I used quite a bit of cocoa and then a bit of honey to temper the bitterness. I've called these 3pm Power Balls because I often find I need an energy burst at that time of day, but they are so delicious I eat them at all hours! 

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup pecans

3 heaped tbspn raw cacao

3 heaped tbspn protein powder (or 2 tbspn ground flax seeds)

Pinch of salt

2 tspn cinnamon

1 tspn all spice

1 tbspn ground ginger

15  medjool dates, pitted

2 tspn vanilla

1 tbspn honey

2 tbspn water

Put nuts, powders and spices in a food processor and pulse til crumb like.  Add dates and vanilla and pulse again. Add honey, pulse.  Add enough water so that the mixture holds together when pressed.  Roll into balls and coat with raw cacao or coconut. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Rocky Road

While I love chocolate, rocky road is not something that I would usually choose. This version changes my whole philosophy on that. The three types of chocolate combine to make something deliciously rich. The turkish delight adds another whole dimension. Obviously you can chop and change ingredients according to what you like.

200g milk chocolate

200g dark chocolate

100g 70% dark chocolate

5 large pieces or rose flavoured turkish delight cut into 1cm cubes (use some of the icing sugar surrounding the turkish delight to prevent everything becoming too sticky as you cut through the pieces)

1/2 packet of marshmallows (I only use the white ones, I think the look and flavor is better)

¼ cup red glace cherries, halved

¼ cup cranberries

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

½ cup coconut flakes or shredded coconut (toasted is optional)

Combine everything but the chocolate in a large bowl. Line a 20x20cm tin with baking paper. Break the chocolates into small pieces and melt them. You can do this over a double boiler or in the microwave (but make sure the microwave is on reduced heat). Mix the chocolate to ensure even melting. Pour over remaining ingredients and mix gently. Pour into prepared tin and refrigerate until set. Remove from tray, place on a chopping board and cut into squares to serve.

Meringue Mushrooms

These mushrooms are the cutest treat and adored by kids and adults alike. 

2 large egg whites (at room temp)

1/4 tspn cream of tartar

1/2 cup of castor sugar

1 tspn of vanilla

1 tspn cocoa 

50g Lindt 85% dark chocolate

50g Lindt extra creamy milk chocolate

Pre heat oven to 100 deg c. 

You will need a large piping bag (mine is 45cm long) with a  1 1/2" nozzle.  Line 3 trays with baking paper. 

Whip egg whites on medium until foamy and add cream of tartar. Turn up to high and beat until stiff peaks form, then slowly add sugar and vanilla and beat til whites are very stiff and glossy. Make sure the sugar has dissolved (you can tell by rubbing some meringue between your fingers, you shouldn't be able to feel the grit of the sugar) 

Place the meringue in the piping bag. Try and get as much air out as possible. 

To Pipe Caps: Holding the pastry bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe the meringue with even pressure, into even rounds building up the meringue to form a 2 inch (5 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high. Sharply twist the bag and stop the pressure as you slowly move the tip off the meringue. Try to make the top as smooth as possible but use a wet fingertip to smooth out any bumps.  Dust the tops of the mushrooms with the cocoa. 

To Pipe Stems: Holding the pastry bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe the meringue with even pressure, into a cone-shape, making the base of the stem a little larger than the top. The stem should be about 1 inch (2.54 cm) high. Try to keep the stems as straight as possible. Some of the stems may fall over on their sides during baking, so it is a good idea to make extra.

Bake the meringues for approximately an hour and 20-30 minutes or until the mushrooms are firm enough that they can be lifted from the baking sheet without sticking.  I usually let them cool in the oven to make sure they are really dry.

Once cool remove from oven and with a small sharp knife, make a small hole in the middle of the underside of each mushroom cap. 

Melt the chocolates together. Spread a little on the flat side of the mushroom tops and gently push a stem into the hole. 

Place the mushrooms, caps down, on a parchment lined baking sheet and let the chocolate set.

You can store these for about a week in an airtight container in a cool place. make sure not to put anything else in the container with them or the meringue will get soft and sticky.

Cacao Bliss Balls

I try not to eat too much sugar but I do love chocolate and definitely feel like I need some most days at 3pm.  These are the perfect healthy snack to satisfy these cravings. The raw cacao sates the desire for the chocolate and the nuts make this fulfilling enough that you can generally stop after one (or maybe two…)

1 cup raw almonds

½ cup walnuts

2 heaped tbspn almond meal

1 heaped tbspn raw cacao

1 tspn cinnamon

½ tspn ground cardamom

250g dried figs, quartered

½ cup goji berries

2 tbspn coconut oil, melted

extra raw cacao

Place nuts and spices in a food processor. Pulse til nuts are chopped. Add figs and goji berries. Pulse again until figs are chopped and mixed through. Add coconut oil and pulse until combined. Roll mixture into balls and place on a tray lined with non stick paper. Sift over extra raw cacao and roll balls in the cacao until they are covered. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

(If your figs are really dry, soak in boiling water for five minutes before you use them)

You can also substitute any of the dried fruit, nuts or spices, and roll in shredded coconut instead of or combined with the cacao. If you want a softer paste, you can also add more coconut oil.