Nicola Brown shares two recipes that are easy, quick and tasty.
There are more and more commercial snacks appearing which are based on nuts, seeds and dried fruits, and many cafes are creating these options too.
It's great to have plenty of choice if you need to grab something on the run, but it's also surprisingly easy to make your own snacks and treats along these lines.
With these recipes, similar ingredients can be used to make very different end-products. One of these is useful for energy on the go; the other is definitely an indulgent treat. There's a metaphorical vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate fish heading your way if you can figure out which is which!
Hazelnut and carob bliss balls
These are handy to have in the fridge or freezer. They are popular in lunchboxes and mini-versions can be added to fruit skewers in place of marshmallows at children's parties, if you're so inclined.
Use whatever ingredients you happen to have available. Keep the proportions of nuts and fruit the same, but mix up the flavours.
Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts
1 cup dried fruit (e.g. ½ cup each of dried cranberries and dates),roughly chopped
¾ cup desiccated or shredded coconut
½ cup carob powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1 scoop protein powder (optional)
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
To garnish:
1/3 cup shredded coconut
Method
Place the hazelnuts in a bowl, cover with filtered water and leave to soak overnight. Drain well and discard water. Set aside ¼ cup of the soaked hazelnuts.
Place remaining hazelnuts, first measure of coconut, carob, cinnamon and protein powder (if using) in a food processor. Process until well combined, then add dried fruit and vanilla extract. Process again until the mixture holds together; add a small amount of warm water if too dry, or some extra coconut if too moist.
Roughly chop the reserved cup of hazelnuts and add to bliss ball mixture; mix in with a spoon. Roll mixture into balls and coat in coconut. Leave in fridge to set. Store in fridge or freezer. Makes 20-plus large bliss balls.
Flavour variation: Using pecans and dried apricots, leave out carob and cinnamon but add 1 tsp of dried ginger. Add extra coconut if needed to help hold mixture together. Bliss balls can be rolled in sesame seeds, crushed nuts or dehydrated fruit powders.
Crunchy chocolate rough slice
This stuff is very, very rich. If it was a country, it would be Qatar.
Make it, announce on Facebook that you've made it, and suddenly you have visitors lined up for afternoon tea for the next week.
Makes 25-plus pieces
Base
1½ cups nuts (e.g.almonds and pecans)
1½ cups desiccated coconut
1½ cups dried fruit (e.g.mixture of dates,currants, cranberries)
¾ cup cacao or cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Coconut filling
3 cups shredded coconut(or 1 cup coconut butter)
2 Tbsp coconut oil,melted
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
the seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
a pinch of sea salt
Topping
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp cacao/cocoa powder
1 tsp dried ginger
selection of dried fruits and/or nuts (e.g.selection of goji berries, blueberries, slivered almonds and cacao nibs)
Method
Base: Place nuts in a large bowl, cover with filtered water and leave to soak overnight. Drain and rinse well (discard water). Place nuts and coconut in food processor and blitz until they form crumbs. Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Press firmly into 18×28cm slice tray lined with baking paper. Place in freezer for half an hour or until set.
Filling: Place coconut in food processor and process until it forms coconut butter. This will take some time (10 minutes or more), so you will need to give your food processor a pit-stop every now and then, and scrape down the sides. (Skip this step and use commercial coconut butter if you prefer.)
Add remainder of filling ingredients and process until it forms a smooth(ish) consistency; you may need to add a tablespoon of warm water. Spread over the base mixture. It may look a little rough, but don’t worry (note the title of the recipe!).
Topping: Place coconut oil, maple syrup, cacao powder and ginger in a small jug and combine well. Drizzle over the slice/filling and then sprinkle with dried fruits and nuts. Place in fridge to set. Cut into small pieces and enjoy! Store in an airtight container in fridge.
Note: Coconut butter is available at specialty food stores and some supermarkets, and carob powder can be found in health-food stores.
Nibl
Want more portable, scrumptious plant-based recipes? The snack recipe ebook, Feeling Peckish, is available on the Nibl website. It contains 22 plant-based snack recipes, plus some variations - a mixture of sweet and savoury, some super-fast to make and some requiring a little effort, mostly gluten and dairy-free - and all delicious!
Visit nibl.co.nz/feeling-peckish-ebook/ for more information.
And if you like to be organised, there's also a series of snack kitchen prep plans available to buy - look for the ‘‘Snack Attack Pack''.
