Well, the big V day will be here before we know it. (Valentine’s Day that is, Feb.14th) Why not show your sweetheart how much you care by giving him/her a sweet treat that is actually GOOD for their heart. These do pack a bit of a calorie punch (with all of those nuts), but they also pack in fiber, calcium, vitamin E and other nutrients that you can’t get with candy.
The ones pictured here were actually made by my (almost) 9 year old son this morning. He wanted to bring something to school for snack that was going to fill him up, give him energy and not take forever to eat. There is playing that needs to be done at recess too, you know! These worked out great; way better than a granola bar and easy enough for a child to make. Can’t get much better than that!
They also provide a great opportunity to get creative. Not a fan of almonds? Fine, try pistachios. Love dried blueberries? Go ahead, throw them in the mix! Have fun with it! The original recipe that gave us the foundation for these was found in Chef AJ’s book Unprocessed. But we have since made some of our own changes. Enjoy!
YUMMY NUTTY TRUFFLE BITES
INGREDIENTS
about 2 Tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup almond butter
1/3 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup dried cherries or dried apricots (or a little bit of both!)
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Place the coconut in a small dish and set aside Place all ingredients (except the coconut) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for a while, until everything is chopped pretty finely and sticks together well. Take a tablespoon at a time of the mixture and roll into a tight ball (If they are not compact, they’ll fall apart easily.). Roll the balls in the coconut and place in an airtight container. That’s it! Store in the refrigerator or just dole them out right then and there. Enjoy!
Mel's Healthy Kitchen 
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