These "cookie balls" are raw, vegan and gluten-free. They are low on starch and rich on fiber, vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, calcium and iron. Nuts, seeds, dried fruit and green tea are all rich in flavonoids and other beneficial phytonutrients.
The snacks do contain caffeine (the amount of matcha in the whole recipe corresponds to six cups of green tea), so they should be consumed in moderation in the evening and by people very sensitive to caffeine.
Raw Matcha Cookie Balls for St. Patrick's Day
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup/0.6 dl shelled hempseed (hemp nuts)
- 1/4 cup/0.6 dl blanched almonds
- 1/4 cup/0.6 dl shelled sunflower seed
- 1/4 cup/0.6 dl hulled sesame seed
- 1/4 cup/0.6 dl dried apples
- 1/4 cup/0.6 dl dried apricots
- 1/4 cup/0.6 dl golden raisins
- 1 1/2 tsp matcha (green tea powder)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Grind the nuts and seeds in a food processor until coarsely ground. Note that the dried fruit are quite heavy to process, so a blender will likely not work for the next step.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the result is sticky and can be formed into balls.
- Form into 12-15 balls with your hands. The "dough" is quite crumbly, so don't try to roll it, but use your fingers to mold it instead.
- Let stand uncovered for a few hours to let the flavours meld and the texture to firm up slightly. For longer storage put the balls in the fridge or freeze for up to several months.
Notes on Ingredients
Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder available e.g. in Asian food stores. There are no real substitutes for it. It could be left out, but then the balls will not be green and not as flavourful.
You can use other nuts, seeds and fruit, but these particular ones were chosen for their mild flavour and light color, which does not compete with the green tea. Dried pears, peaches, mango and pineapple would likely work well.
As for nuts, other good choices would include macadamias, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts. You could also use more of a single nut or seed included in the recipe, such as 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup hempseed and leave out sunflower seeds and sesame seed.
Variations
Cranberry Tea Balls: Instead of golden raisins and apricots, use 1/2 cup dried cranberries.
Tropical Tea Balls: Instead of apples and apricots use dried pineapple and mango or papaya. Add 1-2 tbsp of dried flaked coconut and/or 1 tsp coconut extract.
Moroccan Green Tea Balls: Leave out the lemon zest and reduce amount of vanilla extract by half. Add 1-2 tsp finely ground dried mint leaves (preferably spearmint, but peppermint works too) - either from a mint tea bag or take ordinary dried mint and crush it between your fingers.
Green Chai Balls: Leave out the lemon zest. Add 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 2/3 tsp ground cardamom, 2/3 tsp ground cinnamon and a little ground black pepper.
See Also
Cheap Superfoods - Inexpensive Alternatives to Exotic Fare
Kristen Suzanne's Easy Raw Vegan Desserts
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