Melissa Hemsley finds the joy in every meal — she even developed a recipe to light up our pleasure centers and dubbed these treats "Happiness Balls." Be like Melissa, and make them for friends this weekend, while stashing a few for yourself too, of course. Simple ingredients, healthy fats, a touch of cocoa... we're smiling just thinking about it...
Makes 30 truffles
INGREDIENTS
8 tablespoons coconut oil
8 tablespoons maple syrup
6 ounces cocoa powder
8.5 ounces cashew nut butter or other nut/seed butter
A pinch of sea salt
COATINGS
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons pistachios, crushed
PROCESS
1. Place the oil in a medium pan with the maple syrup, cocoa powder, nut butter and salt, and melt over a medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring to combine.
2. Pour into a wide shallow dish – the wider the dish, the faster the chocolate mixture will cool down – and place in the fridge for an hour for the mixture to set. Alternatively, leave in the freezer for 20–30 minutes.
3. When the chocolate mixture has set, remove the dish from the fridge or freezer and use a tablespoon to scoop up pieces of the mixture. Using dry hands, roll each piece into a 2cm ball. If the truffles are too sticky, put them back in the fridge or freezer to harden up a little more.
4. Next prepare the different coatings. Sprinkle the cocoa powder, desiccated coconut or pistachios onto separate plates. Roll the balls in each coating, then enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week.
