This week we’re looking at healthier sweets. Now I’m charged with taking ten years off Michael, with just two weeks to go, his between-meals snacking around the house needs some restrictions. These energy balls satisfy a need for sweetness but in a healthy and satisfying way.
Ingredients:
140gms dried pitted dates
100gms soft dried apricots
100gms ground almonds
25gms sesame seeds
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp cocoa powder
Method:
Soak the dates in 4tbsp of boiling water for 30mins. Place the dates, water and rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until everything is incorporated and you have a smooth mixture. Roll into balls and leave to chill in the fridge for an hour. They will keep best if stored in the fridge.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
120mls coconut oil (melted)
90g almond butter
80g coconut sugar
70g coconut flour
60g dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp agave nectar
2 eggs
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
Method:
Preheat oven to 160⁰C
Line two baking trays with parchment paper. In a large bowl beat the eggs with the vanilla bean paste. Add in the coconut oil, agave nectar, almond butter and beat until everything is well combined. Add the coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking powder and soda and sea salt. Mix well and finally add the chocolate chips.
Using a piping bag, place the mixture in the bag and pipe out small quantities of the mixture leaving space between each. Depending on the size of the cookies, bake for appx 8 – 12 mins. Once ready the cookies will feel firm to touch, but soft underneath.
Leave to cool on a wire rack. Cookies will firm up slightly as they cool.
Gaby Van Clarke
It seemed like a passing fad when lumbersexuals spoofed ZZ Top in hipster high streets. But ‘peak beard’ never arrived. They just became shorter, groomed, and more normalised through society. Now more than 50% of men wear some level of facial hair.
