Everything date balls

Lately I've been making the same date balls over and over again. "Date balls, really? How boring. Like we need another recipe." I know, I hear you. But they're everything I need right now, with a small child who is moving moving moving and a house that is so far from fully childproof that I cannot leave her alone for a second (we're working on that). In lieu of drinking coffee all day long, it's food like this that keeps me going. And I'm not sure what it is about these particular date balls, but I'm finding them to be incredibly satisfying and energy-giving. If I pop a couple of these babies I am sure to power through until Ben gets home around 6:30 to help me with the whole dinner/bath/bed rigmarole. Anything that helps me greet him in a manner that reflects my true feelings (that he is my best friend), rather than "What the heck took you so long?" is always appreciated.

Everything Date Balls

Makes ~15 balls, depending how large you roll them

Ingredients
200g dried dates*
1/3 cup natural almond butter or Super Spread**, as I used
1/4 c almond meal
2 tablespoon flaxmeal
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 heaped tablespoon raw cacao powder
a tiny pinch of sea salt
1.5 - 2 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil***

* I used organic dates from Source Bulk Foods. Every brand of dates you use will be different - some sweeter, others drier. In previous date ball recipes I've used Medjool dates, as I found dried dates to be too dry, but now I have a super high speed blender (LOVE! Thanks for the Christmas present, mum) I've found that dried dates work just as well - plus, they're far cheaper than those delicious, fresh, plump Medjool dates!

** Plain peanut butter can make the date balls a bit sweet for my liking, but feel free to add whatever your heart fancies. Just be sure it's a natural nut butter (i.e. only nuts + salt, no added sugar).

*** I melt my coconut oil in a pan before using. You may need more or less moisture based on how dry your dates are. In place of extra coconut oil feel free to add a little water.

Method
1. Add all the ingredients to a high-power food processor and blitz.
2. Taste and adjust as desired. Texture-wise, you want them moist (as they sit in the fridge and can get a bit dry) but not sticky (because sticky balls = gross).
3. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container.

Heidi xo