k  Chocolate Orange Love Balls - Thursday dessert  k

You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t occasionally crave chocolate for afters. This delivers the best chocolate and orange fix – one of my favourite sweet flavour combinations.

Packed with antioxidant goodness from the cacao, there is also the added goodness from the maca powder which is naturally high in minerals, essential fatty acids, protein and amino acids.

Maca has been used medicinally for thousands of years and has been shown to enhance sexual health and libido, improve energy, mood and memory and balance hormone levels.

My little Love Balls really do deliver amor galore!

Tess’s Recipe Tips

These love balls can be made upto one week in advance and they also freeze beautifuly. You can substitute the orange for stem ginger to make a different flavour combination.

Ingredients (makes 14)

150g medjool dates

40g sultanas

60g almonds

20g desiccated coconut

20g raw cacao powder (or good quality organic cocoa powder)

1 teaspoon maca powder

Zest 1 orange

Few drops orange blossom (optional)

Toasted chopped nut to decorate

Method

1. Soak the dates and sultanas in boiling water for about half an hour. Drain off the hot water.
2. Whiz the almonds in food processer until you have small grainy chunks.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients and blend until it forms a large ball.
4. Using a teaspoon, mold by hand into smooth balls and then roll in extra cocoa power and chopped nuts.
5. Chill until firm and then roll in the chopped nuts (or extra cocoa powder).

Bon Provecho!

Love Tess x