Raw Brownie Bliss Balls

I often get asked “Oh you’ve got a blog – what kind of food do you cook?”

And it always stumps me. For someone who is so passionate about food – both taste and nutrition – it is kinda ridiculous that I struggle to answer this question. I have been trying to figure out exactly why I find it so hard, and I think I now know.

It is because I cook healthy food.

Each person’s definition of ‘healthy’ is quite different. It is such a broad term. To many people, healthy is synonymous with bland. Which is simply not true, and I know that, but I am concerned the recipes will not even be considered if they are labelled as such.

I have not always been into nutrition. As a child I was brought up by my (single) mother who was quite obsessed with it. More about nourishment and less about taste. Lots of lentils, fafafels, steamed vegies, freshly ground peanut butter, lecithin spread and multigrain bread. This was not the norm in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I was the only kid in my class who had natural peanut butter on multigrain bread for lunch, with some fresh fruit for morning tea. Oh how I longed to be like the others, with packets of chips and Nutella sandwiches on soft white bread! I hated my lunch.

Naturally I was going to rebel. And rebel I did.

It wasn’t until I fell pregnant at 27 that I began to think about the quality of food I was putting in my mouth. Working in kitchens, it had always been about the flavour for me – now I was looking at the nutritional content of food and why it was important to eat it. Heck, I began reading labels in the supermarket aisles for hours on end. I WAS TURNING INTO MY MOTHER! However I was lucky, I had the advantage of kitchen knowledge and experience plus a love for cooking . Making food that was nutritious and tasty was not at all hard for me. And that is how it began.

Now let’s have a look at why these delicious little treats are actually good for you.

For starters, they are sugar free, which is obvious to everyone why that is a good thing.

They are also grain free. And I am not saying that grains are bad, there are just so many better options when looking at nutritional values.

They are also raw, so all the little micro nutrients are not destroyed by the cooking process.

No preservatives or additives. Free from highly processed ingredients. Full of good fats. Full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Sugar free, grain free, raw.

Healthy + delicious.
Is it really that hard to believe?

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Raw Brownie Bliss Balls

-15 fresh Medjool Dates, pitted
-1/2 cup Almonds
-1/4 cup Buckwheat Groats
-1/8 cup Linseeds (flaxseeds)
-1/4 cup Raw Cacao Powder
-3 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted
-1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon

1. Place almonds, buckwheat groats, and linseeds in a food processor and pulse until medium – finely ground. Add dates, cinnamon and raw cacao powder and pulse again until mixture is very well combined and dates are pureed. Add the coconut oil and pulse again.
2. Form mixture into balls, about the size of a walnut shell. They will be quite oily from the coconut oil but this will change after they have spent some time in the refrigerator. Place the balls onto a tray and refrigerate for an hour or two. If you are impatient like me you can place them in the freezer for about half and hour.
3. Now they are ready to serve! If you have left overs they keep very well in the fridge or freezer.

Makes about 25 -30 balls.