Choc Date Balls
Preparation 15 Minutes
Cook Minutes
Serves 6
Method
- Place the dates, sultanas and oats in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed.
- Gently warm the coconut oil and honey in the microwave until oil is liquid. Add to the date mixture with the cacao, water and orange rind. Mix well.
- Roll teaspoonsful into balls and roll in pepitas. Refrigerate until required.
Ingredients
1 cup Angas Park Pitted Dates
½ cup SUNBEAM Raisins
2 cups rolled oats
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp raw cacao
1 tbsp water
¼ tsp finely grated orange rind
⅓ cup SUNBEAM Pepitas, chopped
Recipe Collection
Macadamia and Cacao Balls
- Blend or process dates until smooth
- Combine macadamia meal, cacao and dates in a bowl.
- Use wet hands to roll tablespoons of mixture in balls. Roll in coconut.
Sultana & Orange Friands
In a small saucepan heat the sultanas in orange juice, when the juice starts to bubble turn heat off and set aside to infuse.
Preheat oven to 180°C & Lightly grease a friand tin
Place egg whites in a medium bowl; whisk lightly with fork until combined. Add butter, milk, extract, ground almonds, orange rind, sifted icing sugar and flour; stir until combined.
Drain any excess liquid from sultanas and add to the mix & combine.
Pour mixture into pan; Bake friands 20 minutes; or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Stand friands 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.
For the icing | In a bowl using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, light and fluffy. Use a piping bag to swirl icing across cooled friands, sprinkle with diced pistachios.
Dust the friands with sifted extra icing sugar & optional rose petals before serving.
Spiced Oat Slice
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line an 18 x 28cm slice tray. Place honey and butter in a small saucepan and heat gently until butter is melted.
- Place oats, dates, sultanas, apricots, seeds and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Pour in the melted honey mixture and mix well. Press into prepared tray and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Cut into bars.
Notes:
Lightly wipe your knife blade with a little oil when cutting dates. It will ensure the dates don’t stick to the knife and making cutting easier.
Chocolate Bark Variations
Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Cook until the chocolate is almost entirely melted, stirring frequently.
Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread chocolate evenly over the centre area of the baking sheet—aim for about ¼″ thickness
Sprinkle the nuts, seeds & fruit evenly over the chocolate. Lightly use your palms to press the toppings into the chocolate.
Place the pan on a flat surface in the refrigerator to set.
Once the chocolate is completely hardened, use your hands to break it into about 25 pieces. Serve immediately, or cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Mini Fruit Pies
Preheat oven to 180oC
- Place all filling ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool.
- Place almond meal, flour, sugar into a food processor and process until combined. Add butter and egg mixture and process until a ball forms. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Roll out pastry between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use a round 6cm-diameter pastry cutter to cut 24 circles from the pastry. Line the base of 24-hole non-stick mini muffin pan (or use two 12-hole pans). Fill cases with fruit mince.
- Re-roll pastry and use a 4cm-diameter fluted pastry cutter to cut 24 circles for the lids. Brush the underside of lid lightly with water before gently pressing onto pie. Cut a small cross in the middle of each lid.
- Bake at 180oC for 15 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool and dust with icing sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Frozen Christmas Pudding
Combine sugar with 250ml water in a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase heat to high and boil for 1 minute.Remove from heat, add sultanas and cranberries and allow to sit for 10 mins. Drain and set aside to cool.
Use muslin to line the inside of a 1.75L capacity pudding basin.
Meanwhile, spoon icecream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment. Allow to soften slightly before beating until smooth.Add cooled fruit mixture, vanilla, cinnamon, pistachios and brandy and beat until just incorporated. Spoon into the prepared basin, smooth the surface, cover with the lid (or plastic wrap) and freeze overnight or until firm.
Turn out onto a serving plate, top with fresh berries and shower with icing sugar to serve.
You will need a 1.75L pudding basin and muslin for this recipe
You will need to begin this recipe the night before
