Hello beauties! How are you? Here, we’re still enjoying some cold, sunny days and yesterday I tried to fit a whirly (rotary washing line) in the garden – I say “tried” because the pole is now in the ground but the mixture hasn’t solidified too well on the surface although the pole itself is not moving, so hopefully, it will be all set for the next washing! But today, I have done nothing, just took it easy, done a long yoga session this morning then almost finished a book and watched a couple of episodes of Schitt’s Creek. I know this might not be the best way to cope with it, but the next three weeks are going to be so busy (a christening, working three Saturdays in a row, taekwondo pre-grading, seeing a couple of friends, a medical appointment) and I am making the list of all the things I’ll have to do thinking that by doing this I’ll be prepared, however, it dawned on me that I’m just making myself more anxious and instead I should just “go with the flow”. Who knows how my brain works. But surely, I will need all the possible energy so I am going to make these German Chocolate Cake Energy Bites by the MinimalistBaker to assist me.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup raw pecans
• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup packed pitted dates (measured after pitting // medjool are best)
• 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp creamy almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)

“FROSTING”

• 1/3 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Add pecans to a bare baking sheet and toast for 7 minutes. Then add coconut and toast both together for 2-5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned, watching closely and tossing/stirring after 2 minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and pulse a few times until no large pieces of pecans remain (see photo). In a small bowl, reserve 1/4 cup (30 g) toasted pecans and coconut for coating the exterior of the bites (adjust amount if altering the default number of servings).
2. Pulse the remaining pecans and coconut into a fine meal, then add pitted dates, cacao or cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and almond butter. Pulse until the mixture is broken down and crumbly — we like to stop before it becomes completely dough-like so that the bites maintain some texture. It should stick together when pressed between two fingers; if still dry and crumbly, continue processing until it is sticky enough to form into a ball. If too dry, you can add a bit more almond butter — we didn’t need any extra, though.
3. Scoop out 1 ½ -Tbsp amounts and roll into balls. If making the default number of servings, there should be ~14 balls. Place them on a parchment-lined plate.
4. “FROSTING”: To a small glass or metal bowl, add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Carefully place the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula or spoon, until melted and no lumps remain — ~5 minutes. You can also melt the chocolate and oil in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments until melted. Remove chocolate mixture from heat.
5. Drizzle the melted chocolate mixture over the bites, then sprinkle with the reserved pecans and coconut before the chocolate hardens. Enjoy right away or transfer to the fridge until the chocolate has set – about 10-15 minutes.

Love,

TVCL xx