RECIPE: Coconut-Fruit (aka Schtinky) Balls

Alright people, in the Schwetty Balls post, I promised you my recipe for Schtinky Balls. The truth is they are not schtinky nor is the recipe mine...really. The recipe is a slight adaptation of Jessica Prentice's Coconut-Date Energy Balls. The original recipe needed a little more tang and less sweetness for my taste buds, so I added prunes; the soft, sticky, delicious ones that come in a resealable pouch. Newman's Own has an organic version. (There's always a pouch of these on my desk; I eat them like candy, especially if I'm out of balls. These prunes don't even compare to the old, hard ones that you remember from your childhood.) I also reduced the quantity of dates.

The beautiful thing about these balls is that the sugar in the fruit is balanced with the fat, so you get an immediate reboot (or lift, for you non-geeks) but the sugar doesn't hit your bloodstream as hard as it would without the coconut fat; your energy is more sustained. They're great when you're on the run, and kids love 'em. Keep them cool so they keep their shape!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup date paste or 3/4 cups pitted dates
1/2 cup soft pitted prunes
1/2 cup coconut spread (available from Wilderness Family Naturals)
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup dried coconut plus more for rolling the balls in
Optional: zest of a lemon or small orange.

Procedure:

1. In a food processor, process the date paste (or dates) and prunes for a few seconds or a minute or so.  They should be processed into a chunky paste.
2. Add the coconut spread (and the optional zest, if using) and pulse a few times until the two ingredients are mixed.
3. Melt one tablespoon of coconut oil in a very small pan, and then start the processor and pour the melted oil in through the top while the processor is running.  Add the 1/4 cup sundried coconut and process for 5 or 10 seconds more.  Then turn off the processor.
4. Remove the blade and then the processor bowl from the processor.  You can either leave your mixture in there and work from that, or transfer the paste to another bowl to work from.
5. To roll the balls, pick up a very small handful of paste and press it in your hand.  It should stick together. Then take the paste and press and roll it into a little ball, about one inch in diameter.  Put the balls on a plate as you roll them.
6. When you have finished rolling all the balls, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and remove from heat.
7. Now take each ball and do this: put it in the little pan with the melted coconut oil.  Shake the little pan so that the ball gets covered with coconut oil. Take the warm oiled ball and immerse it in the dried coconut flakes so that it gets covered with coconut. Put the ball back onto a clean plate or straight into a cookie tin.  Repeat with all the balls until they are all covered with coconut.  Store in a cool place and eat as desired!

I haven't actually tried this, but for variation, you could roll some of the balls in sesame seeds or chopped nuts. And by the way, prunes have exellent antioxidant qualities; second only to blueberries. They're a rich source of fiber, vitamin A, and potassium. ~Carla

The original Coconut-Date Energy ball recipe appears in Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection -- a book by Jessica Prentice. Jessica is a professional chef and a passionate home cook. She currently conducts cooking classes, writes a monthly New Moon Newsletter on Wise Food Ways, and offers monthly Full Moon Feasts in the Bay Area. She is also the east bay area chapter head for the Weston A. Price Foundation.     

Comments

[steven]

I think your balls are tastier than mine! I am going to prepare a batch this weekend. I love the combo of coconut, date and prune. I have a jar of that coconut spread that I bought awhile ago. I probably bought it a year ago. Does it expire. I have about half a jar left.

[Carla]

Steven, I'm not sure about the shelf life of coconut spread. The oil is very stable so I would imagine the spread lasts for a long time. That spread is so delicious. Sometimes I just put it on crackers for a quick snack. Not too sweet and full of good fat!

[Ronda]

Yum! thank you so much for the recipe. Definately going to make these. http://ddlwolf.com