Raw Chocolate Sunflower Truffles

Teaching a hands on cooking class with a group of ten people in a small space is hard work!  But I loved every second of my class yesterday. It's always so inspiring to meet students who are not very comfortable in the kitchen, not confident in their knife skills or recipe improvisation, and leave them feeling more trusting in themselves and their abilities. This is why I started teaching; because I love seeing that shift occur in people. This is also why I put together my Confident Cook program to teach people privately in a six week course so they can get the individualized attention they need to become a more confident cook. You can read more about that at www.veggiefixation.com.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand: today's recipe.  Back in culinary school, we learned to make these amazingly yummy, simple little superfood balls, that were created by our head culinary instructor, Jennifer Miller. I have adapted the recipe since and they have always been a hit with everyone I've made them for. I love when a sweet treat is super easy to make, includes only a few ingredients, and is packed with lots of health benefits as well.

A classmate at IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) put a call out for ideas for a healthy, kid friendly snack for a community event her daughter was doing over the weekend and I thought this would be perfect.  This 12 year old girl, Haile Thomas, is amazing and so inspiring. She is speaking out to her peers against childhood obesity through community health events, cooking presentations and a YouTube Channel called "Kids Can Cook". She's even been featured on the news for a project she's involved with for Hyatt Hotels as a Jr. Chef Consultant. It's so great to see the future generation active in health advocacy!

Of course, my own weekend was too busy to get this recipe over to her sooner, but hopefully it comes in handy for a future event.

When you're feeling a little low on energy, like I am today, and the sweet tooth is yelling pretty loud, these raw sunflower truffles make for a great pick me up treat.  The sunflower seeds provide a great source of Vitamin E to neutralize potentially damaging free radicals in your system, and a good source of magnesium to calm your nerves and support your muscles and blood vessels. Raw cocoa powder is loaded with antioxidants, and the dates provide a valuable source of fiber. Plus, they are delicious to boot and easily versatile by simply changing the flavor or extract used.

Raw Chocolate Sunflower Truffles 
Ingredients
1/2 Cup dried coconut, optional
1/2 Cup sunflower seeds
8 medjool dates, pitted and cut in half
1/2 teaspoon spirulina powder, optional
3 Tablespoons raw cacao powder, plus more if not using coconut
2 Tablespoon water, plus more if necessary
a few drops of extract (ie peppermint, raspberry, vanilla, orange, almond)
pinch of salt

Directions
1. Add the dried coconut, if using, to the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Remove to a plate and set aside. Wipe out the food processor. (Skip to step two if not using coconut.)

2. Add sunflower seeds to processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the dates and pulse until well incorporated.

3. Add spirulina, if using, and cacao powder and pulse until combined. Add the water a little at a time to get the desired consistency. To test, try rolling some of the mixture into a ball. It should stick together when pressed but not be wet.

4. Lastly, add the extract and salt. Start with one drop of extract and increase if necessary. The mixture should have just a hint of flavor.

5. Pinch off a little of the mixture and roll into a ball about the size of a quarter. Roll into the dried coconut, or extra cacao powder and set on a serving platter. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.