Snacks Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Simple Wellness Food

I’ve tested lots of “healthy” treats on my partner (who’s not a lover of all things wholesome) and they don’t always go down too well. These however are always a hit, in fact I frequently get asked to take some along to a BBQ or picnic as they make great, portable sweet treats.

Experiment with your favourite nuts, I’ve tried pecans, almonds, cashews and macadamias, however walnuts and hazelnuts are my personal favourites.

Note: I used to recommend removing the skins from the hazelnuts however according to research commissioned by the Hazelnut Council in the US, consuming hazelnuts with their skins in tact renders up to 10 times more antioxidants. The same is true of walnuts as well as most other tree nuts. Therefore, I strongly recommend you consume the nuts with their skins in tact.

Ingredients

8 Medjool dates (or you can use any other large moist dates)
75g /2.65 oz/ half a cup of walnuts*
75g /2.65 oz/ half a cup of hazelnuts*
20g/0.7 oz /quarter cup of good quality cacao powder
1 generous tablespoon of coconut oil (runny)
2-3 tablespoons desiccated coconut

Method

Remove the stones from the dates and add to the food processor along with your choice of nuts and the cacao powder. Blend for around 15 seconds, until the ingredients are mixed but the nuts are still nice and chunky then add the runny coconut oil and blend for another 15 seconds or so, ensuring the ingredients are mixed but there are still small coarse chucks of nuts.

Roll the mixture into between 10-12 balls and then finish by rolling the balls in desiccated coconut. Transfer to the fridge and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before consuming.

* I choose raw or activated nuts. As noted above, the recipe is easily interchangeable with different nuts, particularly almonds and pecans. Recently I made a whole batch using raw almonds (no other nuts) and they were delicious so experiment with what you have on hand.

Makes 10-12 balls that will keep in the fridge for several weeks.

It took much trial and error for me to get activated almonds right. The secret lies in soaking for the almonds for around 12 hours (you don’t have to be exact but try to be close to this mark), then dehydrating for 36 hours in a food dehydrator. You can also choose dehydrate your almonds in the oven, however you’ll need to monitor and assess from 24 hours to ensure they don’t overcook.

Ingredients

1-1.5kg almonds (choose pesticide free, preferably organic)
Juice of half a lemon/1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon good quality salt – finely ground (optional)

Method

Rinse the almonds then drain and add to a large bowl. Cover in plenty of water – ideally you should have a ratio of at least 3 times water to almonds. Add the lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (this will help neutralise the phytic acid in the almonds and make them more easily digestible). Soak for 12 hours then drain and pat dry thoroughly. If you’re using salt, mix through the almonds little by little evenly distributed.

Add the nuts to the food dehydrator and cook at 75 degrees celsius/165 degrees Fahrenheit for 36 hours. If using an oven, choose the lowest setting on your oven (mine is 50 degrees Celsius) and check after 24 hours to see how the nuts are. Depending on the strength of your oven you may not need to go the full 36 hours.

Once your nuts are cooked (they should be delicious and crunchy) allow to cool completely then store in glass jars.