Easy cacao bliss balls

I love chocolate! I have no self control when it's in my house, so I try not to buy it. And without having much time for exercise at the moment I can't have too much.

Sometimes a girl needs to satisfy that craving. So here's a simple and healthy 'choc' treat that is packed full of flavour. It's the perfect afternoon slump pick me up for busy Mammas. This recipe was inspired by super fit and healthy Mamma Willy B Mum.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups/300g almonds 
• 1 cup/80g shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup / 30g raw cacao powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or rice malt syrup
• 2 tbs organic coconut oil
• Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Here's what you need to do:

1. Place all ingredients into the TM bowl (or a food processor)
2. Mix for about 10 seconds on speed 7 
3. Roll into small balls  
4. You can then roll them in chia seeds or shredded coconut 
5. Place in the fridge for a few hours to set

My daughter absolutely loves these. Especially when I roll them in hundreds & Thousands for a special treat! 

Vegan flourless orange cake

Another day another dicey experiment...

One of the girls in my team had her birthday on Saturday. She is guten free and vegan, so I thought I would try my hand at a GF vegan cake. Having been sick for the last few days I was somewhat disorganised with limited ingredients to hand. So I opted for this orange cake which has very few ingredients and is pretty easy to make.

Ingredients

• 3 medium oranges
• 3 tbs chia or flax  seeds
• 9 tbsp water 
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 cups almond meal
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

Orange Syrup

• 1 orange
• 3/4 cup caster sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Brush a round 22cm springform pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line base with non-stick baking paper.
2. Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes (this will reduce the bitterness of the peel). Refresh under cold water. Drain. Coarsely chop oranges. Remove and discard any seeds.
3. Place the orange in a food processor until smooth.
4. Soak the chia seeds in water for 15 minutes. (This is a great egg substitute)
5. Add sugar and chia seeds to the orange mixture and mix well. 
6. Add the orange mixture to the almond meal and baking powder and gently fold until just combined. Pour into prepared pan.
7. Bake for 50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
8. To make the orange syrup, juice orange and pur into a saucepan with sugar. 
9. Place over low heat and stir for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens.
10. Turn cake onto a serving plate. Use a skewer to gently prick the top. Spoon over syrup. 

The original recipe for this cake uses eggs. Without the eggs this cake didn't rise and crumbled a little when I took off the tin, but otherwise looks edible! I will update post with the taste verdict tomorrow.

OMG this cake was so moist and tasty! If you like zesty oranges, this is the cake for you! Everyone loved this cake, it was a hit! With 3 GF and 3 vegans in our team at work it was a real hit!