Saturday 10 June 2017

PLUM BALLS

Image courtesy Martha Stewart cooking school

You've no doubt heard of Rum Balls, but for those that don't like alcohol and aim towards a healthier lifestyle, how about plum balls? This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart, but I've made it into a guilt free healthy  snack to keep my bowels healthy.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons powdered milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/4 teaspoon for coating
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, (can sub for margarine, coconut butter etc.) cut into pieces
  • 9 ounces (250 grams) prune, fig or date paste
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus 1/2 cup for coating, not hot chocolate or milkshake powder (I recommend Dutch cocoa powder if you can find it because it's roasted longer and is double delicious) 
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces (225 grams) dark chocolate (70 percent cacao), chopped 
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • Chopped pistachios, chopped toasted coconut flakes, and toasted sesame seeds, for coating
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

  1. Combine almond flour, powdered milk, and spices in a small skillet and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is fragrant and light brown in color, about 2 minutes. 
  2. Add butter and stir until the butter is melted and mixture is well combined. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer and let cool, at least 5 minutes.
  3. Add fruit paste, cocoa, and salt to bowl and beat until well combined using the paddle attachment. Scoop balls using a tablespoon or a small ice-cream scoop and drop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (I prefer to make my balls smaller for a teeny tiny lower calorie treat)
  4.  Roll between damp hands to smooth. Refrigerate truffles at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
  5. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth; stir in coconut oil. Dip truffles into chocolate, scraping along the edge of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. 
  6. Roll to coat in pistachios, coconut, or sesame seeds, or a mixture of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup cocoa powder.
These little snacks keep for a long time in the freezer compartment and only take a few minutes to thaw. They even taste good frozen.

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