The rain has been heavy and relentless these last few days. The air is thick with mist and fog, so much so that I cannot see the vegetable garden from where I sit. I have no choice but to stay inside.
A few photos were taken a while back on drier, sunnier days.
These make lovely gifts for family and friends during the holiday season. Simply wrap them in recycled paper, tie them with a ribbon, and add a touch of nature.
Other ideas include homemade raw halvah and zesty mango bliss balls, or you can create an assortment of all three!
chocolate-covered caramels
makes 14 bite-sized balls
Recipe inspired by ‘Trinity’s Conscious Kitchen.’
Once set, the texture is a lovely chocolate crunch on the outside with a soft, gooey caramel on the inside. There are no nasty sugars or additives. To speed up the process, melt down your favourite chocolate bar.
ingredients
100g Medjool dates, pitted – about 7 large dates (can use regular dates, but keep in mind soaking time will be longer)
4 Tbsp coconut butter
dipping chocolate sauce
25g cocoa butter
15g cacao powder
2½ Tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
chopped toasted almonds & coconut for garnish
preparation
- Soak the dates for at least 1 hour in water, then drain.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Drain the dates and blend with the coconut butter. Use a hand blender/immersion blender, as this seems to work best. You will have to scrape down the bowl and blade as you blend. Place the mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes to thicken a little before rolling.
- Remove from the freezer. Using a heaped teaspoon of the mixture, roll into a small ball about half the size of a golf ball. Place the balls on the lined tray and freeze for half an hour (this will make the chocolate dipping easier).
prepare the chocolate dipping sauce
- Put 1 – 2 inches of water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place another small non-reactive bowl (glass works well) on top so that it sits over the water but does not touch the bottom of the saucepan.
- ‘Shave’ the cocoa butter with a sharp knife and place it in the bowl (shaving the coconut butter will make it easier to melt). Add the coconut sugar to the bowl and stir to combine. When the cocoa butter has melted, sift in the cocoa powder, drizzle in the vanilla essence, and whisk until completely smooth. Remove from the stove and cool the chocolate mixture ever so slightly, keeping it runny but not too runny for dipping.
- Dip the caramel balls into the chocolate mixture. I find using a fork helps scoop them out of the chocolate and place them back onto the tray. Sprinkle with chopped almonds or coconut and repeat with the remaining caramel mixture.
- Place in the fridge to set for half an hour. Once the caramel balls have set, keep them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Goodness shared from Stacey
