Chokladbollar (Swedish Chocolate Bites) and a winner!

 

You know me, I like a treat. But if I can make that treat healthier without losing any of it's treatyness, then I view it as a big bonus.

Of course, I'm only a beginner at this compared to the likes of Kim Boyce, Heidi of 101 Cookbooks, Maria of Scandi Foodie,  and last but not least, David, Luise and Elsa of Green Kitchen Stories. 

I have come up with a winner this week though.

The other evening, Bike Boy announced that he wanted something sweet. Something like 'chokladbollar', literally translated as chocolate balls.

I looked at the recipe in here and lamented the amount of butter and sugar in there. I ended up experimenting with cashew butter instead of dairy butter. I liked how it turned out. Bike Boy nearly wolfed the lot. Enough said.

So here it is. It is set to become a staple in our house - one of those recipes that you can whip up from the contents of your cupboard at a moment's notice.

I can imagine them stacked in a mason jar tied with ribbon as a little gift, or in a big bowl on the coffee table at Christmas.

Maybe next time I will try and do something about all that sugar....


Chokladbollar

Makes around 30
100 g cashew nuts
120 g sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp good quality cocoa powder
200 g rolled oats
5 to 6 tbsp water
Dessicated coconut for coating

Begin by grinding the cashew nuts into cashew butter. Whizz them in a food processor until they resemble fine crumbs, and then continue for a while longer. After what seems like an age they will turn into butter. Honest - they will!

Stir the sugar and cashew butter together. Add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, oats and 2 tbsp water. Stir thoroughly until well mixed. Pick up a small piece of the mixture and try to roll it into a ball. If it is too dry and crumbly, add a little more water. Continue until you get a consistency that is easy to roll between your hands but not squishy. You might not need 6 tbsp!

Spread the coconut on a plate.

Pick up about a tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in the coconut, and then place it onto some non stick baking paper or silpat.

These are best kept in the refrigerator until needed. They will harden up a little as they cool.

Done! How easy was that? And I defy you to miss the butter!

And finally......the winner of the Le Cordon Bleu Chocolate Bible is comment number 48, All That I'm Eating! Drop me an email and let me know your address so the guys at Le Cordon Bleu can send you your prize! Whoop!