Cacao Date Energy Balls + A fleeting Luxury: Chocolate

Cacao date balls, figgy bites, chocolate energy balls- I've called them many different things but the defining factor is that it's healthy, and mainly made from cocoa powder. This recipe is a quick, no-bake option with lots of room for substitutions.

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Thoughts on on of my favorite solo ingredients: Chocolate has always been an easy luxury, but after listening to talk on the climate of chocolate lately, the shortage of cacao due in part to climate changes, it makes me ever more grateful to have it in my life. I hope that we always have a world where we can easily attain these things we have so regularly. I have started a collection of climate-conscious ingredients that will be resilient in a hotter, drier world. in contrast, I also want to share compilations of recipes and seasonal produce and ingredients that are in jeopardy. We need to use each ingredient with thoughtfulness and appreciation. In the case of crab or salmon, we might reduce or halt consumption altogether, or in the case of peaches, eat as many of them as you can when they're available because we might not have them around forever.

All of these are ones to be grateful for, but it's always something to keep in mind when planning, purchasing and consuming.

As always: reuse what you can, reduce your waste, and recycle if available. The kitchen is often the place where we use the most product, and where we waste the most. Each person can make a difference, and when more people care, the bigger change we can make. Changes of the consumer will change the goals of the producers.

I will give you two different recipes below, because some days my brain likes to think in one way and sometimes the visual is what I need to make it happen.

The whimsical recipe:

So you're like me and you need chocolate in your life, at any cost. You take the last of your dried fruit and test how tough they are. Some of your figs aren't sticky any longer, so you put them in a coffee cup and pour some hot water over them. While they're hydrating, you pull out at least a cup of cocoa powder, a cup total of tahini and peanut butter, and a splash of vanilla. You mix them together to create a loose paste, but it will bind better with the figs. Pull the figs out of the water and chop them finely, since you don't have a food processor on vacation. Mix it all together and see if they will make a ball. If it does, you've got to taste it first. If it needs sweetener, add a little honey. If it needs salt, add some crunchy salt to the top. If you like them just the way they are, pack them into balls with your hands or two spoons, and chill them out. Roll in more cocoa powder truffles or toasted coconut flakes for fun.

The first line is your basic recipe, each part of the equation which you need to make these lil health nuggets. You probably have some of this in your kitchen, and you can fill in the blanks with the substitutions in each column. With each amount, you don't need to worry about exact measurements. The thing you pay attention to is how hydrated (sticky) your dried fruits are, and how much oil is in the nut butters.

Troubleshooting

Too oily: add more cocoa powder, maca powder

Not sticking together (making a ball): Add more binder - chopped dates or figs

Both: Sometimes adding a little hydration can do two things: giving your oil ability to emulsify (bind together) AND give your sweeteners more volume to stick

• pouring hot water to cover your figs in a cup and letting them soak for 5-mins)

• adding lemon or orange juice, 1 TB at a time

Sweetener 1 TB	Binder 1 cup	Cocoa Powder 1 cup	Nut Butter 1 cup	Seeds (some)	Flavoring (enough)
Honey	Dates		Peanut Butter	Chia	Toasted Coconut, shredded
Maple Syrup	Dried Figs		Tahini	Flax	Vanilla bean or extract
Agave syrup	Prunes		Almond Butter	Maca	CardamomCinnamon
Monkfruit sugar	Apricots		Sunflower Butter	Hemp Seeds	Maldon Salt

Was this the type of recipe you like?

• Kind of no
• For sure yes