Pregnancy, Recipes, Snacks
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Cocoa and Date Truffles

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I have yet to meet a pregnant woman who does not crave something sweet from time to time (or all the time!), so to keep you from eating a bar of chocolate a day, why not make these delicious cocoa date truffles? They are (mostly) guilt free, as the only sweetener in them is the dates themselves. Let’s not kid ourselves, they’re not going to taste just like Ferrero Rocher’s, but they’ll do the trick when you’re after something chocolatey and sweet. They’re great as an afternoon pick me up, as they have ground almonds and rolled oats, so won’t give you the sugar rush or the slump an hour later. Dates also have lots of nutrients, and the cocoa itself is rich in antioxidants. These truffles also contain cinnamon, which has been shown to stabilise blood sugar, and also makes everything taste and smell delicious! These truffles are very versatile and you can coat them in whatever mix you prefer. Here I’ve done 3 types: cocoa powder, cinnamon and ground almonds. I’d also have rolled them in coconut flakes, and finely chopped hazelnuts but I didn’t have any.

Keep these in the fridge and they’ll last for up to a week; if you don’t eat them all beforehand that is! Sadly, like most sweet things, these aren’t gestational diabetes friendly as dates contain a fair amount of natural sugars. You can always try making them with fewer dates, and although they’ll be less sweet, they may still curb your craving.

RECIPE   Makes about 15 truffles (depending on the size)   Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 
1 cup rolled oats
5 tablespoons water
6 medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1 cup ground almonds
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Small pinch of salt
Your choice of topping (suggestions: cinnamon, cocoa powder, chopped nuts, coconut flakes)

Method
Place the rolled oats into a food processor and blend until fine. Add the water and the dates and blend again. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and blend. Take some of the mixture and roll in between your hands to make a ball. If it’s still a bit dry and not sticking well, add some more water, or if you’d rather them a little sweeter, add some maple syrup or honey instead. Take small amounts of the mixture, and slowly roll into small balls. Once finished, get a small bowl, fill with your choice of topping(s) and roll the balls into the topping to finish off the truffle.

 

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