Check out my other posts so far this month on my Instagram and Twitter pages.
I have been an almond butter fanatic for well over 5 years and discovered Keen at one of their first markets in Holywood in spring 2013. I literally stumbled upon their company and have been consuming kilograms (Literally) of their finest nut butter ever since. When I first started eating almond butters it was difficult to get my hands on and involved buying out my local health food shop of their nut butter supply every week. Then I discovered Keen. Aimee and her team have worked tirelessly to get their healthy alternative to spreads and peanut butters to local shops, markets and online- so it is now much easier to fulfill my habit! Check out their website here. If you are yet to try Keen Nut Butters I urge you to give them a go, there are lots of different nut butters on the market but Keen trumps all for quality and flavour every time!
Right back to my post for the day. Cashew and date balls. They are easy to make and super tasty. I make mine in a large batch and store them in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer and nibble when I'm hungry. It appears my family do too as the numbers tend to dwindle and disappear quickly. They are energy dense and high in protein which will help to keep you full and fight those afternoon hunger pangs which usually lead to grazing and poor food choices. Yes, you chocolate, crisps and biscuits I'm talking about you lot!
They are also really handy before a gym session or as a post exercise recovery snack. I will bring one to uni to eat in the car on the way to the gym or in between training sessions on my double days. Sometimes I just need an energy boost and this does the trick for me. Some people turn to red bull and coffee... I chose Cashews and dates... we are all different but trust me these are pretty tasty.
Recipe- Cashew and Date balls
Ingredients-
2 cups unsalted cashews2 cups medjool dates- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 Tablespoon of Keen Cashew Butter
Variations-
Roll in toasted coconutAdd 1tbsp protein powderCacao nibs choppedCoat in melted chocolate
Instructions-
1. Preheat oven to 200•C
2. Place cashews on a baking tray, add pinch of salt and shake to mix.
3. Roast for 10 mins or until golden brown in colour- the darker you go the better the flavour.
4. Every 5 minutes give the nuts a shake to give even colour.
5. Take out and cool slightly.
6. While roasting nuts place dates in food processor and pulse until broken up. TIP It is easier to combine
later if dates aren't in one mass/ball so don't over process and break up slightly with a spoon.
7. Tip out processed dates into a bowl.
8. Melt coconut oil and cashew butter in a saucepan over a low heat- until the oil is melted.
9. Place the roasted nuts in the food processor leaving handful aside- pulse until it resembles breadcrumbs.
10. Add dates and remaining nuts to the processor and pulse for 30 seconds. If making one of the variations
above add these ingredients now too.
11. Slowly pour in the coconut oil and cashew butter while the processor is on.
12. Add a large pinch of crushed sea salt and taste to check there is enough. It should have a good sweet salty
balance.
13. Blitz until it just starts to come together. TIP The mixture might not form a ball in the processor and
look crumbly but dont worry!
14. You can make any size of ball you wish- I would use a half tablespoon measuring spoon and scoop the
mixture almost like ice cream.
15. Roll between hands and place on parchment paper on the baking sheet you used to roast the nuts (less
washing up.. YAY).
16. Place in fridge to firm up for an hour before either coating in 70% dark chocolate or placing a sealed
container.
17. Place in boxes and put in fridge to firm up!
I like mine straight out of the fridge but they can be stored in cool dry place.
This might seem like a lot of steps but I would probably say I like attention to detail and I always
consider how I would like a recipe.
I challenge you to try it out this weekend! Let me know how you get on.
Katie.
