Almond-Dates Balls (Serves 8)

Following is a very simple yet elegant snack which needs no cooking :-). This recipe was given to us by a sweet Turkish girl Merve and we would like to thank her a billion for introducing us to this wonderful snack. It tasted soo good and will be an excellent way to feed kids with almonds as most of them doesn't like neither almonds nor dates. The use of chocolate chips was the best part as no one can even guess this sweetie was made with almonds....

Whole Almonds 2 cups, crushed
Dates (pitted) 1 cup, finely chopped
Chocolate chips ½ cup (your choice of dark or white), crushed
Sweetened coconut flakes ½ cup
Coconut oil 1 tsp
Red chilly powder a pinch (to balance the flavors)

  
Preparation

In a bowl, mix together crushed almonds, chopped dates and crushed chocolate chips. Mix it well and then add red chilly powder and coconut oil. Mix all well to combine. Make any size balls (we prefer medium or lemon size) with this mixture and roll in sweetened coconut flakes. Store in the refrigerator and when ready to serve thaw for a little while at room temperature and enjoy this as a snack or even as a dessert. This will surely be a hit among kids and will be perfect for a gift basket…

 Tips

We have tried this recipe with both dark and white chocolate chips and found that the white chips gives a more sweeter taste
The following recipe will yield around 20-25 lemon sized almond balls
This has a shelf life of two weeks in an air tight container in the refrigerator
Try adding 1/2 cup marshmallows, you will love it
Try with mixed nuts or any other nuts of your choice