Chocolate Gogi Nutty Yummy Balls

These are like little sweet energy nuggets. So easy and full of protein and healthy fats. We made about 30 of them and keep them in the fridge for snacks and take along treats. 

Ingredients:

• 10 dates, pits removed
• 1/2 cup gogi berries
• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup finely shredded coconut (non-sweetened)
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons raw cocoa powder (if you can't find, any cocoa will do, make sure it's fair trade) 
• optional: 1/2 cup dried blueberries

Food process all your ingredients well (took me 3 minutes on high). Leave out 1/2 cup coconut for rolling balls in. 

Make sure ingredients are well pulverized, no big chunks. 

Dough should be sticky and soft, but not so much that it's sticking to your hands so much that it's hard to form balls. 

Form balls, size of your choice. I like making two sized...acorn sized and walnut sized for a variety of appetites. 

Place coconut on a plate in a thin layer across the plate. Roll balls to cover in coconut and roll one last time in hands. 

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, not touching. 

Place the sheet of balls in the fridge and chill for at least 15 minutes or until hardened. 

Place balls into a jar and keep in fridge to snack on as needed. 

These can also be easily frozen for later. 

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

One of the best pies in my opinion is the pumpkin pie. It's more of a meal, than a desert. A vegetable, yes, a vegetable snuck carefully and oh so elegantly into a sweet treat. Lots of fiber, sweet, but not too sweet, and lovely to look at. When it's late at night and I should really be sleeping and that craving kicks in, I get way too happy when I remember that there is a pumpkin pie in the fridge waiting to hang out on the couch with me. 

Instructions: 

Gluten-free crust: (or sub ready made pie crust) 

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick), cut into 1/2 inch squares
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or other sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

• 2 cups pumpkin puree (1 can)
• 2 eggs
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 cup coconut sugar (or 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup honey, and 4 drops liquid stevia combined)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8-1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cardamon    

Begin by cutting the cold butter up into 1/2 inch pieces. Set in freezer for half an hour to get hard but not freeze. 

Next, mix all the dry crust ingredients using a sifter. If using coconut sugar, mix in with a whisk afterwards. 

You can now work on the filling while you wait for the butter to chill. 

Filling is easy, just combine all ingredients and mix with your electric mixer. 

If using honey/maple/stevia sweetening mix, do as follows. 

Combine maple syrup and honey in a small sauce pan and heat until it reaches a soft bead stage (meaning that when a drop is put into a glass of water, it beads up into a ball instantly). 

Make sure you do not cook it past this stage, about 240 degrees. 

Then, let cool a few minutes. Add stevia and mix well. Then add to pumpkin mix and blend. 

Now go back to your crust and remove from freezer. 

Mix in dry ingredients using a pastry cutter. You can also use the back of a fork. 

Mix until it looks like coarse cornmeal grains. 

Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix with cutter. 

You want to add just enough water to make the dough begin to stick together, but not too much. 

Shape dough into a ball and flatten a bit into a disk. 

Wrap in plastic wrap or a zip-lock bag and chill in fridge for 1 hour. 

I made a triple batch and froze two disks worth of dough in the freezer for another time. 

Take dough out of fridge and place between 2 pieces of parchment paper. 

Roll out to desired thickness. 

Remove top paper and invert onto buttered pie plate. 

Carefully remove top piece of paper and slowly press into pie plate. If it rips, just piece it together. So forgiving. 

Leave 1/2 inch over edge of pie pan and shape as desired. 

Pour filling into crust and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until firm in the center. Let cool completely and keep in fridge, enjoy!! It's good for you!!