Dark Chocolate and Citrus Macadamia Balls

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Published on December 6, 2014

Mac Choc Citrus Balls If you’re someone who can’t resist licking cookie dough from the beaters (maybe, you even like cookie dough better than cookies) then here’s a discovery you should know about: macadamia nuts, when blended until smooth but not quite all the way into macadamia butter, taste deliciously close to cookie dough.

Macadamia “dough” has a soft, gooey texture and naturally sweet, buttery flavor that’s the perfect base for raw desserts. It can be rolled and shaped and then flavored with anything that satisfies your sweet tooth. In this recipe, orange zest and dark chocolate are a festive combination, appropriate for the holidays or any time of year.

As far as nuts go, it doesn’t get much better than a macadamia nut. Minimal linoleic acid and decent amounts of magnesium, manganese, thiamine, copper, and iron, make macadamia nuts the perfect snack…in reasonable amounts. Worried you’ll scarf down a dozen of these dark chocolate & citrus macadamia balls in one sitting? Plan to bring them to a party instead of hoarding them all to yourself, and you’ll be lucky to get even one.

Servings: 12 balls

Time in the Kitchen: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

step 3

1 ½ cups raw, unsalted macadamia nuts (225 g)
A pinch of salt
¾ cup dark chocolate chips (or about 3 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped) (90 g)
Zest of 1 orange

Instructions:

Blend the macadamia nuts and salt in a food processor just until the nuts are smooth and have the consistency of dough. Stop processing before the nuts take on a looser, butter-like texture.

step 1

Set the macadamia dough aside and wipe the food processor out. Blend the chocolate chips until they are broken into tiny pieces, similar to chocolate sprinkles.

step 2

Shape the macadamia dough into balls. If the dough isn’t holding its shape, refrigerate it for 30 minutes first.

Roll each ball in orange zest, then chocolate. Store in the refrigerator.

Mac Choc Citrus Balls

Recipes notes:

For more flavor throughout, use your hands to blend some of the chocolate and orange zest into the macadamia butter before rolling it into balls.

If the macadamia balls are going to be served at a party, put them in the freezer for an hour or so beforehand. This helps the balls stay firm longer when set out at room temperature.