What’s a blog without a food article hey? The following post appeared on the health and wellness blog http://www.wellnesswa.com.au/ which has all kinds of information about health/beauty products and issues in WA.
While in Melbourne I attended the Mind Body Spirit Expo and was soon negotiating my way round the usual maze of crystals, lotions and psychics.
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About half way through, just as my feet were threatening divorce from my body, I stumbled across a stand for the Farmers Market at the Melbourne Showground. Okay I’ll admit the initial attraction had nothing to do with the fresh produce display, impressive though it was, no my attraction was the small group of empty plastic chairs in front of the display.
Slumping into the end seat I closed my eyes and was only vaguely aware of the demonstration taking place. But then I heard the phrase, ‘fruity balls’ and visions of old Carry on Camping movies morphed with the South Park chef in my brain.
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Opening my eyes I saw a reasonably sane middle aged woman in a deep state of rapture about her vegan fruity balls.
Health treats, hmmm, I wasn’t convinced.
More like sawdust balls I thought as I watched her roll the mixture into shape, place them on a tasting tray and send the tray off into the audience.
With only six of us in the audience and thirty balls on the plate there was nowhere to hide. So when the tray came round I reluctantly popped a fruity ball into my mouth.
It was delicious and the perfect sweet injection to help me continue around the rest of the show. So I thought I’d bring the recipe home to WA. It’s only fair if the other states take our sporting events I’ll take their fruity balls (only joking my eastern states friends).
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© The Ponder Room
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½ cup of walnuts
½ cup of dates
½ cup of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower or mixed)
2 tablespoons of carob powder or cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of honey (or vegan alternative, maple syrup?)
Shredded coconut
Raisins can be substituted for the dates, but not sultanas as they are too small. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz it up until it is a good texture, i.e. a crummy, sticky mixture that holds together. Take bites size pieces and roll them in the palm of your hand into a ball. Then roll and push the coconut onto the ball.
The big challenge is to stop at one. Enjoy the guilt-free sweetness.
1 Comment
Okay the cooks amongst you tell me that raisins are smaller than sultanas, sorry. It must have been my state of exhaustion that misheard the reason why. So give either a go and see which works better