Every year when I go home for the holidays, my mum and dad in rural Lincolnshire cheerfully make their morning cup of tea around me as I practice, and sweetly wrap Quorn bacon around a Quorn sausage for my Christmas lunch to show support for hippie yoga ways. Trying to include them in my practice has so far only met hoots of laughter – but this year I brought back my recipe book from our Nourish and Flourish retreat, packed with nutritious wholesome treats in disguise (thanks Nic!!), and finally have something they want to share in. 

These Snowballs have been the highlight, and happily are the easiest one to do as well: SO simple, no-cook, ridiculously tasty, and gorgeous to look at. No need to mention to your family that they’re also gluten free, full of protein to power them through the festivities, dietary fibre to power the digestion of the less gut-friendly snacks, antioxidants to help counter some of the indulgence of the festive season, and deceptively filling which helps to reduce snacking on those far less nourishing treats.

Recipe

Makes 10-15 snowballs*

*You can alternatively try smaller Malteser-size snowballs – as they’re surprisingly filling.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Medjool dates (they’re the squishier, stickier, tastier kind of dates). If this is too expensive, substitute up to a cup with juicy raisins instead
• 1 cup cashews / pecans / almonds / cashews / walnuts – pick any one, or a mix of your favourites.
• 2-3 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional, and can be replaced with good honey instead)
• A little pile of desiccated coconut for decoration (or finely chopped nuts)

Method

Simply blend the nuts in a food processor (or with a hand blender, in batches) until they form a crumbly mixture like flour.

Add the dates and blend again.

Add the cacao and maple syrup and mix it all in thoroughly.

Take a blob of the dough and roll between your palms into a ball – maximum size about two-thirds of a golf ball. Roll the ball around in some desiccated coconut (or finely-chopped nuts if you prefer).

Either refrigerate for three to four hours, or freeze for one hour to allow them to set.