These taste just like chocolate orange truffles and makes 30 balls.

Ingredients

400g pitted dried dates
400g almonds,macadamias or walnuts (or any combination of these)
5 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
Juice of 1 large orange
Zest of 2 large oranges
Desiccated coconut for coating

How to make:

Place dates in a bowl and cover with 1 cup very hot water (almost boiling). Leave to soak for 15 minutes.

Place nuts in a food processor and blend until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Pour the ground nuts into a mixing bowl.

Drain the dates thoroughly and check there are no pips hiding anywhere (reserve the soaking water for later). Pop the dates into the food processor along with the cocoa powder, orange juice and zest and blend together.

Slowly add the ground nuts back into the food processor while it is still going until you have added all the nuts. If the mixture is too dry, add a little of the date soaking water you have reserved. If it is too wet, add a little desiccated coconut until the mixture becomes firm enough to roll into balls that will hold their shape.

Take heaped teaspoons of the mixture in your hands and roll into balls. Cover with coconut.

Place the balls onto greaseproof paper and chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat (1–2 hours).

Adapt it
• You can also coat the balls in cocoa powder or chopped nuts.

Top tip
• These freeze well.
• Dutch cocoa gives these a really delicious dark chocolately taste.