Greetings!
We are home safe and sound from Alberta and are running on little sleep.
I am downing French Press like the best of ‘em, but I’m not even sure this is going to save my lack of sleep. Time changes are always hard to adjust to, aren’t they?
I am also suffering from a bad case of I-miss-my-family-blues.
As I mentioned last week before I left to visit my family, I am featuring a holiday cookie special on the blog called ‘Favourite Vegan Holiday Cookies’ where I promised to show you holiday cookies with a wholesome, vegan twist.
I’ve already showed you My Favourite Snickerdoodle…last week.
I will be making a list on my recipes page of all the holiday cookies that I make, so be sure to check that out.
I also made Auntie Angie’s Soft Peanut Butter Cookies…
Today I’d like to move to a cookie a bit more unconventional…
First of all, it is a ball.
It is no bake.
It is dipped in chocolate.
It is vegan.
It contains no added sugar.
These are also adapted from my Glo Dough balls that I sold at the Farmer’s market this past summer.
This unexpected delight is the perfect holiday party appetizer to serve on a cute little tray, stuck with red and green toothpicks. I served something like this at my Ugly Christmas Sweater Party last December 2009.
I made these last week before I left for my trip and it took all my restraint to wait to blog about them.
The first thing I did when I got home from the airport last night was pop one of these bad boys out of the freezer and into my mouth.
I needed a chocolate fix.
And fast.
I shoved that cookie ball into my mouth and had a moment of sheer bliss as I stood in front of the freezer with my luggage in one hand and balls in the other.
Peace at last.
[print_this]
Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Adapted from my Raw Chocolate Chip Cookies from May 2009. Stick idea from Joy the Baker.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp regular oats
- 3/4 cup whole grain spelt flour (or other flour)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 5 pitted medjool dates, chopped
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3-5 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
- 3-4 tbsp dark chocolate or my homemade raw chocolate, chopped
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate, melted, for dipping
Directions: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non stick mat. In a food processor, process the cashews and oats until a fine crumble (see picture below). Now add in the flour, kosher salt, and roughly chopped pitted medjool dates. Process until fine.
Add in the vanilla and pure maple syrup and process until the mixture comes together in a ball.
Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the 3-4 tbsp of chopped dark chocolate. Roll into balls and stick with toothpicks.
In a double boiler or carefully in the microwave, melt 1/3 cup of dark chocolate in a small bowl. Be careful not to burn. Now roll each ball into the chocolate and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Freeze for 1 hour to set. Serve immediately.
Yield: Approx. 25 balls.
[/print_this]
Process the oats and cashews until a fine crumble forms like above.
Now add in the flour, dates, and kosher salt:
Process until fine.
Now add in the pure maple syrup and vanilla. A ball will form.
Now add in the chopped chocolate and process until incorporated. Alternatively you can stir this in a bowl if the mixture is too sticky for your processor.
Shape into balls and stick with a toothpick!
They already taste delicious, but we must dip them in chocolate.
This is 1/3 cup melted dark chocolate.
Dip half way and place on the parchment.
Now freeze the balls for 1 hour to set. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve immediately.
These have a nutty flavour thanks to the cashews and spelt flour and a great texture thanks to the chunks of chocolate. They taste like a healthier cookie dough that is wholesome but won’t give you the dreaded sugar crash. They don’t taste exactly like cookie dough, but they are delicious anyways.
And perfect straight out of the freezer.
Mmmmm.
The other day, my nephew asked me, ‘Auntie Angie, why do you take pictures of your food?’
I stopped and laughed for a moment and thought about my strange ways.
I also realized that I had turned into the token weird Aunt. I knew it was bound to happen.
I looked at him eagerly awaiting my reply and said,
‘Because taking pictures of my food makes me happy….just like you do.’
And then I distracted him with a cookie.
It worked for now, but there will be many more questions and I need to think of answers.
I think I shall go clean out my freezer now.
MMmmmmmmmmm. That looks divine! I was looking at Joy the Baker’s dough balls earlier today, too. Nom nom nom.
YES! YES! YES! I need these!
Haha about being a weird aunt! Just wait until you have kids! My kids wonder why I take pics of food too. I just told them it is because some people don’t know how to cook healthy things and I like to show them. At least you don’t take pics of people eating the food, that is never appreciated. Who doesn’t like looking at pics of delicious healthy food!
haha I know…not many ppl like getting their pic mid bite.
Those look amazing!
you are funny! good call on distracting the small people with cookies… works every time!
I love it and I’m making it for sure. I love dough balls.
Oh my goodness! Wish just a few substitutions (raw oat flakes, almond meal for spelt flour, and coconut oil for EB) these could be RAW cookie dough balls. They look AMAZING. I may have to try these when I get home from chef school (either that, or break into the kitchen and use their stuff to make them!).
Now these look amazing! Can’t wait to try them out :)
Oooh I have been looking for some vegan cookie dough to munch on ever since I saw it mentioned somewhere a while back- so this will be perfect! Plus, it is a real snack instead of a snack that was supposed to be something else, so I won’t feel weird about eating it hehe ;) Thank you!!
Angela, I know you’re happily married, but…please consider marrying me and making me no bake cookie dough balls. You can feed them to me straight from the freezer.
bahaha
These look delicious!! I love cookie dough! :)
Love these!! I will be adding them to my Christmas cokies list!! Do they stand up, not frozen? Like if I was to give them in a little gift box?
The balls would but I am not sure the chocolate would stay firm…I guess it would depend on the chocolate you used!
I made something almost EXACTLY like this the other day – only mine was dipped all the way in chocolate. :)
a no sugar added nutty chocolatey dessert?! you may be a genius. :)
i am beginning to relalize that being the “weird” (inesrt title here) goes with the territory. ha!
Oh man these look incredible. I love date-sweetened desserts, they’re so delicious and they definitely don’t need added sugar.
Oh my!! Those look fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t WAIT to make these.
I might need to throw a holiday party just so I can serve these! Because we all know that just me + 25 chocolate chip cookie dough balls is probably a bad idea :)
I think I need to make these this weekend! They look great! I love the festive colored toothpicks for the holidays! You never miss any detail! : )
“…I had turned into the token weird Aunt.” Haha, I’m sure there are worse things to be remembered as!
These look devine… perhaps some peanut butter mixed in would be a nice addition?!
These are perfect for what I’ve been looking for – I wanted to make a no-sugar added cookie for my diabetic grandparents when I visit over Christmas and this sounds perfect!
Kids sure do have a funny way of putting you on the spot…I remember once one of my third grade students asked me why Barbie and I had boobs but she and Dora the Explorer didn’t…that was an interesting one to answer ;)
How do you think these would be after sitting out for a few hours? We have a “trough” at work (nice name huh). These seem like a nice treat to bring in, but people graze and probably would tend to snag a few over the course of a day. What do you think? Would they get too soft?