Ingredients:
- 1 Cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
- 3/4 Cup raw almond Butter
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1/4 Cup raw seeds (Chia, Hemp, Flax)
- 6-8 Dates (coarsley chopped)
- 1/3 Cup dried blueberries
- 1 Teaspoon lemon zest
- Few drops lemon essence
Method:
Toasting is not necessary if you like your nuts in the raw but, I do like the slightly stronger flavor that both the nuts and coconut impart. If you choose, in a 300 degree oven, toss the raw nuts and 1/2 cup of the coconut flakes in for 7-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it as the coconut can burn easily. I often put them in side by side so if needed, I can pull out the coconut first. Let them cool so that they’re just warm to the touch and pulse it all in a food processor with the remaining raw coconut flakes, salt and the dates. It should be paste like and you shouldn’t see any large chunks of dates.
In the meanwhile, warm the maple syrup and almond butter in a small saucepan. You can always substitute honey but, I tend to use a little less of it and make sure I’m on the higher side of the dates to balance out the sweetness and bindability. I’ve begun making my own almond butter with raw almonds so I don’t have to deal with the oil separation but store bought works just as well. Once you can stir the syrup and almond butter mixture with a spoon, put it in a bowl. Add the date-nut paste, raw seeds (your favorites or none at all), blueberries and lemon zest. The lemon essence is a really a matter of preference and quality. If you like it lemony but not perfumy, I would recomend a good quality essence. Mine comes from the indian grocery store and tends to be stronger.
Your best bet here is to mix everything by hand. You will need to roll these lovely little bites in your hands anyway and I promise it feels so meditative to scoop them all the same size and make little balls in between your palms while popping what tastes like Spring in your mouth as you go. Keep them in the refrigerator and they will last for a couple months if they don’t get eaten sooner!