Karen Dale - AMAZE-BALLS : Sweet and Savoury Recipes for the Ultimate Bite-sized Snacks

AMAZE-BALLS Copyright Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers. Karen Dale has asserted her moral right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Condition of Sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. An Hachette UK Company
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UK www.summersdale.com eISBN: 978-1-78783-463-7 Substantial discounts on bulk quantities of Summersdale books are available to corporations, professional associations and other organisations. INTRODUCTION There is something inexplicable and deeply satisfying about eating bite-sized food, and creating it is great fun too! The first chapter in this book is dedicated to healthy energy balls. INTRODUCTION There is something inexplicable and deeply satisfying about eating bite-sized food, and creating it is great fun too! The first chapter in this book is dedicated to healthy energy balls.

These are the most super of superfoods and are all nutritious, delicious snacks for any time of day. From a grab-and-go breakfast or a post-gym protein boost, to a vitamin-loaded lunch box treat or an antioxidant immunity boost, these recipes are bursting with highly nutritional ingredients such as matcha green tea, cacao powder, flax and chia seeds, and spirulina. Many recipes are vegan and many dont need baking. The second chapter features savoury balls. Some are mini versions of classics, including garlic dough balls and Scotch eggs, and others are inspired by world street food. Most are vegetarian and all are ideal picnic and party foods.

Saving the naughty-but-nice chapter till last, we have the sweet balls. These are definitely on the treat list, and include mini jam doughnuts and cute cake pops. These are great for parties and will guarantee your popularity as the host with the most! So, without further ado, lets go amaze-balls mad! NOTE ON INGREDIENTS All of the ingredients listed in the recipes should be available in your local health-food store or larger supermarket. Many of the energy ball recipes include dates as they create a perfect sticky consistency to bind the other ingredients together. Medjool dates are large, soft, dark and juicy with a caramel flavour. However, they are quite pricy, so ordinary soft pitted dates have been used in many of the recipes instead.

Another key ingredient in energy balls is nut butter you can pretty much turn any nut or seed into butter, and there are so many to choose from on the market. If you prefer, you can substitute your favourite for those stated in the recipes. Although oats are naturally gluten-free (oats contain avenin, which is a protein similar to gluten), they can become contaminated by other grains during processing, so buy gluten-free oats if you want to be sure. To adapt recipes containing flour so that they become gluten free, substitute one of the huge range of gluten-free flours available. As they all have different characteristics, you will need to look up the substitution quantity, and you may also need to add xanthan gum to help doughs and batters rise. To make any vegetarian energy ball vegan, swap the non-vegan ingredient for an alternative; for example, use agave nectar instead of honey.

For recipes included in the Savoury and Sweet chapters you may wish to experiment with vegan-friendly alternatives too. Vegan butter, cheese and milk substitutes are becoming widely available just check the label to make sure it can be heated if required by the recipe. There are also a few vegan egg products on the market that focus on replicating the binding, leavening and thickening properties of eggs. CONVERSIONS AND MEASUREMENTS All the conversions in the tables below are close approximates, which have been rounded up or down. When following a recipe, always stick to one unit of measurement and do not alternate between them. Makes Approximately 14 balls Ingredients 100 g pistachios 100 g dried cranberries 200 g dates 2 tbsp agave nectar 1 tbsp ground chia seeds pinch of sea salt Method Blitz the pistachios in a food processor until chopped and place to one side. Makes Approximately 14 balls Ingredients 100 g pistachios 100 g dried cranberries 200 g dates 2 tbsp agave nectar 1 tbsp ground chia seeds pinch of sea salt Method Blitz the pistachios in a food processor until chopped and place to one side.

Repeat with the cranberries and put aside with the pistachios. Pulse the dates, agave nectar, ground chia seeds and salt in the food processor until the mixture starts to form a sticky dough then add in the already chopped pistachios and cranberries. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before balling. These little jewels will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Did you know? Matcha, unlike other green teas, is grown in shade and not dried or heated. The whole leaf is stoneground to help preserve its nutrients.

It is high in antioxidants, containing over 130 more than regular green tea. MATCHA AND CACAO BUZZ BALLS Glorious balls combining the luxury of dates and the richness of chocolate with a superfood blast of matcha to keep you buzzing with energy. Gluten free too! Makes Approximately 12 balls Ingredients 150 g medjool dates 50 g raisins 4 tbsp raw cacao powder 1 tbsp matcha green tea powder (plus some for dusting) 50 g ground almonds 12 tsp agave nectar Method Blitz the dates and raisins in a food processor until they form a nice sticky paste. Sprinkle in the cacao, matcha powder and almonds and pulse till combined. Add 1 teaspoon of agave nectar and combine; if the mixture wont form into a ball, add the other teaspoon. repeat until you have used up all of the mixture. repeat until you have used up all of the mixture.

Place on a tray, sprinkle with extra matcha powder then chill for about an hour before sealing in an airtight container. Store (or hide!) in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (although its highly unlikely they will stick around that long!). Did you know? Coconut oil is said to boost good cholesterol levels in the body and to help fight infection. APRICOT AND COCONUT LUNCH BOX BALLS Sweet and nutty: the kids will be begging to have these little super snacks in their lunch boxes every day just dont let on how healthy they are. Super-quick to make too!