Ingredients
- 1 cup roughly chopped dried figs
- 1 cup pitted and roughly chopped dates
- 1 cup desiccated coconut, plus extra or dusting
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2- 3/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp each extra raw cacao powder or ground walnuts, for dusting
Fig Coconut and Cacao Truffles
I love making little balls of goodness like these. You can use whatever dried fruit and nuts you have in the cupboard, and experiment with different spices. Sometimes I add seeds, LSA, spirulina or barley grass powder.
Method
Place the dried fruit in the food processor and process to a chunky paste. Add the rest of the ingredients, leaving the oil until last. Blitz until smooth and glossy.
Roll the mixture into balls the size of a walnut, then dust in the extra cacao powder or ground walnuts.
These will keep for months stored in an airtight container in the pantry. Chill if you like a firmer treat.
**Makes about 20
Janella’s Wholefood Kitchen by Janella Purcell, published by Allen and Unwin, RRP $39.99 available where books are sold.
Submitted byJanella Purcell
Tips and Tricks
Due to their high oil content, nuts can quickly turn rancid if not stored properly. For long-term storage, it is best to buy unshelled nuts and store them in the fridge for 2 – 3 months.
Lemons can be stored at room temperature in your fruit bowl for up to a week – after this time, lemons will begin to dry out and lose their moisture.
If you haven’t got time to use up lemons in the kitchen, they also make for a great cleaning supplement in the rest of your house. Rubbing lemons onto aluminium will help brighten surfaces, while mixing 2 tablespoons of lemon with 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 litre of water makes for a natural window cleaner.
