Adventures in Bliss Balls #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday writers are sharing Nutritious Nibbles.

Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm coordinate this low-stress group; we only participate when we are inspired. This week Wendy is hosting and she wrote: "Well here we are....starting another year. I, like so many others, start each year off vowing to cut out the junk food and eat more nutritiously. The problem is I've still got the nibbles from the Holiday season. Please share your favorite Nutritious Snack with us this week."

Here's the line-up...

• Adventures in Bliss Balls by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Beetroot Tikkis by Sneha's Recipe

• Fresh Tomato Salsa by Karen's Kitchen Stories

• Fruit and Nut Bars A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Healthy Pizza Bites by Our Good Life

• Olive Cream Cheese Stuffed Celery by Food Lust People Love

• Peanut Butter Energy Balls (No Bake) by Amy's Cooking Adventures

Adventures in Bliss Balls

I had seen Bliss Balls in shops occasionally, but I never paid them much attention. But, one afternoon, I was at one of my favorite shops and I ordered a latte and saw an entire case full of Bliss Balls. Pinkish cranberry ones, greenish pistachio ones, and more. I had to have one. And then I had to try to recreate them.

If you have never had Bliss Balls, they are easy to make, use simple ingredients with no added sugar. They are loaded with protein, healthy fats, and fiber. I think they qualify as a nutritious nibble. I did try several different combinations before I landed on one that my family liked. The first few were too sweet or the texture was wrong. Such an adventure! You can use a single kind of nut, but I prefer to mix it up. Also using the full amount of dates makes for a pretty sweet Bliss Ball. I often substitute in some dried apricots or dried cherries.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dates, loosely packed

• ¼ cup cashews

• ¼ cup pistachios

• ¼ cup almonds

• ½ cup organic tahini (peanut butter is more commonly used, but use whatever nut butter you have if you don't have tahini)

• ¾ cup rolled oats

• ½ cup flaked unsweetened coconut

• 1 Tablespoon ground hazelnut meal

• 3 Tablespoons water or more as needed

• Also needed: food processor, cookie scoop (optional), baking sheet, parchment paper

• Optional toppings: cocoa powder, hemp seeds, more ground hazelnut, more coconut - be creative!

Procedure

This is from a batch when I added some cocoa powder to the mix and substituted from dried cherries into the date measurement!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In bowl of food processor add the pitted dates, nuts, and coconut. Process until nuts are broken down into small pieces and mixture is sticky. Add in the oats, tahini, and hazelnut meal. Process until mixture comes together, adding water 1 Tablespoon until moist enough and to hold together once formed into balls.

Using a Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, shape mixture into balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Roll the balls in your choice of toppings or leave them plain.

Place baking sheet in freezer for 20 minutes before transferring to an airtight container of your choice.

These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or frozen for up to three months. Bear in mind a batch has never lasted more than three days in my household of four.

That's a wrap on my Nutritious Nibbles offering for the #SundayFunday group. We will return next week when Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures has us sharing main dish salads. I can't wait to see what the others share for that event.