Dark chocolate-covered cashew cherry balls

These easy to make no-bake balls are delicious and nutrient dense; made with ingredients high in vitamins and minerals and with flavours to please your tastebuds.

Especially noteworthy is the tart cherry flavour, which balances the sweetness of the dates and pairs beautifully with the dark chocolate coating, if you choose to go that route.

Make a double batch and store them in the fridge to have on hand as a snack or after dinner dessert. Packaged thoughtfully they make a great hostess gift.

I used raw cashews but you could use roasted ones.

Make sure you use sour dried cherries. These are Montmorency cherries.

If your dates are dried out soak them for 10 minutes in warm water. Drain well before blending.

I was out of the much preferred finely shredded coconut and made do with dried coconut chips. To avoid a longer processing time, I coarsely blended the coconut chips first before adding the cashews.

Melt the dark chocolate gently. I used a metal bowl sitting on a pot of simmering water. Make sure the base of the bowl does not sit in the water and that only the steam is melting the chocolate.

Dark chocolate-covered cashew cherry balls

Makes 20 to 24 balls

12 medjool dates, pitted

1 cup dried tart cherries 

1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

1 1/2 cup cashews, raw or roasted

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

pinch of fine sea salt

4 ounces dark chocolate, melted (optional)

Add dates to food processor and blend until broken up into little bits.

Add coconut, cashews, cherries, extract and salt.

Pulse and combine until a sticky dough is formed. Be careful not to over-process or the mixture will become oily.

Using a spoon, scoop out the mixture and carefully roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls using the warmth of your hands to mold them. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Pop the cookie sheet of balls in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes or until firm.

Roughly chop the dark chocolate. Place in the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally.

When the chocolate is half way melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until the remaining chocolate melts. 

Dip each ball into the melted chocolate and roll around until completely covered (I use a spoon). Lift out and return to the parchment lined sheet.

Return to fridge and allow the chocolate to harden.

Store balls in an air-tight container or large zip lock bag for up to two weeks. Place in the freezer for longer storage time.

Remove from fridge five minutes before eating, or longer if stored in the freezer.

Homemade chocolate peanut butter cups

If you’re a fan of chocolate peanut butter cups you will appreciate knowing it’s easy to make your own and tailor them to your specific preferences. 

I have only made these twice and I'm happy with the results even though there’s more tweaking I could do. For example, next time I will pour a little less chocolate in the bottom of each cup so the base is not quite as thick. 

Otherwise, the results are excellent.

Here are tips to ensure your peanut butter cups turn out just the way you like them.:

I like to use dark chocolate but you may prefer milk or semi sweet chocolate. You can use chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. I’ve also included a recipe for you to make your own chocolate with cocoa butter, cocoa powder and maple syrup.

I use a natural peanut butter with no added ingredients. It’s runny so I thicken it with coconut flour to absorb the moisture. Depending on how thick or thin your brand of peanut butter is you can skip adding coconut flour. Or you may need a touch more or less than I use.

You could also use powdered sugar to thicken the peanut butter. If you use powdered sugar don’t add the maple syrup to the peanut butter filling and be selective about what type of chocolate you use. Perhaps one that’s less sweet.

I use silicon muffin tin liners that are 2 1/2 inches in diameter but you can use paper ones. You can also user a smaller size.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 12 cups using 2 1/2 inch liners

Chocolate layer (two options):

1 cup finely chopped cocoa butter

3 to 5 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

pinch of sea salt

OR

1 3/4 cups (280 grams/10 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Peanut butter filling:

3/4 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy 

2 tablespoons of maple syrup 

2 tablespoons coconut flour

salt to taste

Chop the cocoa butter. Place in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Add cocoa powder, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir occasionally. When mixture is half way melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until everything is melted and blended well.

OR

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler. Stir occasionally. When mixture is half way melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until everything is melted and blended well.

If using paper liners, insert into a muffin tin. Add equal amounts of melted chocolate to each cup and paint the inside of the liner with the melted chocolate - swish it around until it coats the sides, no more than halfway up the liner.

Place in the fridge to harden for 5 minutes.

Mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, salt and coconut flour and stir until smooth. Let it sit for a couple minutes to firm up as the coconut flour will continue to absorb moisture with time. Add a touch more coconut flour if necessary. Or if it's too dry, add a touch more syrup. 

Add 1 generous tablespoon of peanut butter mixture to each cup. Press down to flatten. Cover the peanut butter with more melted chocolate and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes or until hardened.

Transfer to an airtight container. I store mine in the fridge and take out 5 minutes before eating.