Following on from my recent reflections on Pinterest, I have a recipe today that was inspired by the photo boards. The close up photos of Chocolate Covered Katie's German Chocolate Fudge Balls just made this healthy treat look so decadent. And I had all the ingredients on hand.
I've made them twice now. The first time I used some old dates I found in the cupboard. They made the balls a bit crumbly. I also used up some cooking chocolate in the first batch (below). Next time I doubled the recipe because I knew we would eat them quickly. I used fresher dates, a bit more coconut and left out the chocolate.
The second batch (below) held together better. I found them less intensely chocoatey. We still loved them. That is Sylvia and I loved them. (E preferred his blocks of chocolate.) It is the sort of snack I am happy to have around the house. It doesn't bother me so much if Sylvia sneaks an extra one. After a day or two they were even better with a slightly toothsome coconut and nut texture (a bit like golden rough). Excellent for morning tea at the office or to finish off dinner.
Then I had to photograph them for the blog. They are really boring to look at. I had time and daylight and some colourful fruit. They may not look as fudgy as Katie's photo but I hope my colourful picture will help to convince you these are so delicious you must try them.
I am sending these fudge balls to Amy for her Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, a weekly event for bloggers to share healthier recipes, and to Ricki's Wellness Weekends, an event all about eating healthy food. And a happy winter's solstice to everyone in the Southern Hemisphere!
Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: A simple lunch of smoky soup and blueberry cake
Two years ago: Half Moon Café: Coburg’s best falafels
Three years ago: Novice Nutella cupcakes accompanied by guitar
Four years ago: The solstice fruitcake offensive
Five years ago: Winter Solstice Roast Dinner
Walnut and coconut fudge balls
Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie
Makes 10-12 balls
3/4 cup pitted soft dates (about 120g)
1/2 cup walnuts
3 tbsp dessicated coconut
2 tbsp cocoa
25g finely chopped chocolate (optional)
pinch salt (optional)
Blitz in food processor until well processed and looks like rubble or dirt. Use your hands to grab a small handful and and roll into balls (about the size of a small walnut). Mine kept in a airtight container for about a week.
On the Stereo:
Vauxhall and I: Morrissey
Yummy! I made something similar at Christmas, with almonds instead of walnuts, and everyone would no believe me that they weren't full of fat and sugar! Delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks Zoe - the original recipe said pecans and I had walnuts which are close to pecans but I imagine these would work well with other nuts, especially almonds.
DeleteI need to keep dates around more often so I can make treats like this! They sound like the perfect midday snack!
ReplyDeleteThanks Joanne - the are the perfect midday snack - and dates are great to have around - Sylvia and I have been snacking on medjool dates recently and I was wondering how they would go in the balls
Deletei love pinterest for that very reason! i can get sucked into the "pinterest time drain" though and end up spending an hour on there! those fudge balls look mighty tasty! perfect little "poppable" treat yum!
ReplyDeleteThanks GF happy tummy - surely time on pinterest isn't wasted if you find yourself eating these balls as a result :-)
DeleteThese are just the kind of thing I love to have around the house, too! But what is chocolate rough--?? (maybe a phrasing I've never heard?).
ReplyDeletePS These would be perfect for Wellness Weekend, too--feel free to submit up to 4 posts a week! :)
Thanks Ricki - it crossed my mind that they would suit wellness weekends - will link them up - will also put a link to golden roughs (had to look it up and I got the name wrong) - they are coconut filled chocolate that had a sort of crunchy texture that I loved
DeleteGreat--thanks for linking up! The Golden Roughs description doesn't make it sound too appetizing, I have to say (though knowning me, I would have loved that as a child, too--or even now.) ;-)
DeleteOhhh Johanna! At least, this time, you recognised the need for fresh super juicy proper dates ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Hannah - I thought of you when I made these - I knew you would be tut tutting about me using the rather hardened dried dates but I had thought they were fresher until I took them out to make the fudge balls - am thinking about trying them with medjool dates if we can stop ourselves eating them fresh
DeleteThis is absolutely and entirely my sort of snack. I was sold even without the colourful photo :) It looks like you did a wonderful job with the making and the photographing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kari - very kind - nice to know not everyone needs a pretty photo to convince them :-)
DeleteThese sound really good, and healthy! Sylvia is going to grow up with a great healthy perspective on food. I have rather an addiction to unhealthy snacks.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cakelaw - I think Sylvia will grow up loving all sweet things whether healthy or not - not all of the treats in our home are healthy :-) but I do love finding a healthy treat I can give her
DeleteThey look great. I could try them with cashews - I guess the type of nut doesn't matter that much - they'd be different but I'm sure just as good!
ReplyDeleteThanks Caroline - I am sure other nuts would work here - the original recipe used pecans (if you can eat those) but I had walnuts and I think cashews wold work too
DeleteThey look lovely and the perfect non-too-guilty snack. I bet they would be fab dipped in chocolate to make them into little truffles. Date and walnut is such a delicious combo
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie - I am sure these would be excellent dipped in chocolate - and now you mention it, I used to love date and walnut in nutloafs that my mum baked (the sweet kind) when I was young
DeleteI love these tasty & appetizing balls!
ReplyDeleteThey look just stunning!
Thanks Sophie - very kind
DeleteLove the sound of these - a wonderful treat for tea time. They seem like the perfect truffle substitute (or could be turned into truffles?!)
ReplyDeleteThanks Hazel - I am sure you could call them healthy truffles - they reminded me a little of my grubs which I make with biscuit, condensed milk, cocoa and coconut
Deleteoh, I can certainly imagine how these flavours are combined together! So simple Johanna! I am saving the recipe!
ReplyDeleteMmm, yum. Like a chocolatey bliss ball!
ReplyDelete