Christmas is right around the corner. I have baked some gingerbreads and made date nut balls. Of course there are no left so I will make some more next week right before Christmas Eve. As I this morning edited the photos from yesterday my dear cat Jacky, as usually, kept on eye on my doings. I wish you all Happy Safe Holidays !
I have called them date balls. Yesterday I found out on the internet that they also are called date/nut balls, date energy balls, vegan balls and healthy sweets. Thumbs up for the healthy. Plus that they are delicious and quick to make. Yesterday, when I started to make them again, my son suggested a new flavor. He happened to have salted liquorice powder. I love salted liquorice (salmiak). So, I was happy with the suggestion and rolled six of the balls in the salmiak powder. I try not to eat salmiak liquorice too often as it is not very healthy. But, I think a few date balls rolled in little bit of salmiak powder is okay. I know my balls are date/nut balls but, I still am going to call them date balls.
Time flies. It is five years since I last made date balls. They are so quick and simple to make so, from now on I will make them more often. At least once a year. The recipe says it makes 22-24 balls. There are only 18 in the photos as we already ate some.
Recipe
200 g fresh dates
1,5 dl (abt. 70 g) Pecan nuts
1 dl (abt. 50 g) cashew nuts
about 1/2 tsp cinnamon
about 1/2 tsp cardamom (which I don’t like so I didn’t use)
Pit the dates. Then put all the ingredients into the food processor. Form about 22-24 small balls. Then roll them in e.g. coconut flakes, almond flour or dark cocoa powder.
Not only once, but twice ! I had no idea how tricky it is to melt white chocolate ! The first time I tried was for the Halloween chocolate cake. The dark chocolate with 70% cocoa melt nicely and was easy to cover the cake with. I wanted to decorate it with a spider web in white chocolate. Too bad I had not read about how to melt white chocolate. It burned, turned brown and hard.
Yesterday I, again, made date balls. I wanted to coat some with white chocolate. This time I would be very careful, not make any mistakes. I read so many tips on how to do and how not to do it. Well, at least, it didn’t burn this time. But was too thick and hardened too quickly. I gave up after “dipping” eight balls in it. The rest I rolled in coconut flakes and cocoa powder.
Last night I was convinced, no more melted white chocolate for me. I’m done with it for good !
But, again this morning I have surfed the web for even more tips on how to succeed in melting it. Maybe I still sometime will give it a third chance 🙂 After all, the balls with the white chocolate coating are delicious 😉
I think it was yesterday or maybe it was the day before when “Pirkka” the K Group customer magazine came. There always are nice recipes. I like to read them. Quite often I think I’ll make this or that. After a while I forget. In this issue of the magazine there is a recipe for “Taateliraakamakeiset” / Date Balls. The balls look good in the picture. I immediately wrote the list of ingredients and put it in my purse to remind me about to buy them.
So simple, fast and easy. Pit the dates then put all the ingredients into the food processor. Form small balls. Then roll them in e.g. coconut flakes, almond flour or dark cocoa powder.
200 g fresh dates
1,5 dl (abt. 70 g) Pecan nuts
1 dl (abt. 50 g) cashew nuts
about 1/2 tsp cinnamon
about 1/2 tsp cardamom (which I don’t like so I didn’t use
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