Following on from last month’s spherical Turkey Delights, and in celebration of the Football World Cup, I would like to talk balls. In this case, No Bake Balls, where the balls are sweet and salty, gooey and nutty, chewy and chocolaty and gooey and sweet and….good for you! No baking means no fuss, which means you have more time outside the kitchen to get on with your busy life.
But we’ll get to the balls soon. Has anyone made any adjustments to their lifestyle over the past month or even thought about re-organising their day/weekend differently to accommodate some food prep time? I have definitely been inspired to think outside of the box since writing my first article.
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Inventing in the kitchen
Speaking of boxes, I am a big MasterChef fan! Not so much the team challenges and tears, more the “here’s a box of ingredients, invent something” and, to my delight last month, “here’s a box of leftovers from George’s kitchen, invent something”. I am always amazed by the array of completely different looking dishes from exactly the same ingredients.
The great thing about trying this concept at home is that you don’t have to worry about what it looks like on the plate at the end (unless you are worried about your Instagram cred). You only have to Google the more prolific amateur clean eating bloggers to realise that their recipes ain’t usually all that pretty. There are many a plate of misshapen balls (we’re coming to those soon) and ominously coloured smoothies. Only last week I added a purple carrot (they’re all the rage in Surry Hills) to my homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and turned the whole pot purple a la Bridget Jones. It tasted amazing but I ate each portion with my eyes closed.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with purple carrots
Ok ok, I’m coming to the balls. Did I mention they were ‘no bake’ balls? Yep, you only need a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a knife and a fridge freezer. Who says you need fancy kitchen gadgets!
So on a Sunday morning whilst making my usual batch of turkey muffins (see last month’s article for the recipe), I use my 30 minute time slot while my muffins are baking in the oven to prepare some sweet treats. I do not have a tremendously sweet tooth (my weakness lies squarely with cheese and savoury biscuits), but I do sometimes feel like something sweet straight after I have eaten lunch, more so than after dinner. These no-bake balls provide a perfect solution, they are extremely easy to make and depending on the complexity, can be put together in just a few minutes. The best thing is you can customise your own balls according to your preferences.
No Bake Balls
Therefore, for this month’s recipe, I have put together a handy construction guide for building your own balls.
| Base Coat (1 cup of) | Glue (half a cup of) | Added Texture and Top Coats(half a cup of) | Extra Sweetener(qtr cup of) | Super Booster(tbsp of) |
| Spelt flour | Pure maple syrup | Raw or freshly toasted nuts | Stevia | Chia seeds |
| Rolled oats | Rice malt syrup | Chopped pepitas | Grated dark chocolate (+70% cocoa) | Vanilla extract |
| Pitted dates | Agave | Chopped dates | Raw cocoa powder | Choc protein powder |
| LSA | Coconut syrup | Goji berries | Agave | Flaxseeds/linseeds |
| Raw Cocoa Powder | Natural peanut or any nut butter | Shredded coconut | Pure Maple syrup | Cinnamon |
| Raw or freshly toasted nuts | Raw honey | Cacao nibs | Raw honey | |
| Wheat germ | Sesame seeds | Rice malt syrup |
You will notice that I have listed some of the same ingredients in multiple columns, this is because this ingredient could be used as the ‘glue’ or just as an extra sweetener if necessary.
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You only need a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, a knife and a fridge freezer. Who says you need fancy kitchen gadgets!
Directions
- When you have all of your ingredients ready, mix them all up either by hand or in a processor and then taste. Do not forget to taste, this is your opportunity to adjust and add that extra sweetener if they are not quite hitting the spot. You will not be able to adjust the flavour easily when rolled into balls. To any combination from the table, I also add a generous pinch of sea salt, it adds a touch of magic every time.
- Before you start rolling, wet your hands otherwise it can get really messy. The consistency should be slightly gooey but with enough crumble to allow you to roll each ball in the palm of your hands easily without sticking your hands together. You should be able to average between 10- 15 balls (two bite size).
- When rolled place them in the freezer for an hour and then they can be transferred to the fridge. They will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container.
Enjoy! And please feel free to add your own versions or additions to the ingredients list in the comments section below.
Images credits: Sally Harding
Sally Harding
I manage the Pop Up Retail business for Lend Lease’s portfolio of 15 shopping centres. It is a demanding role and until two years ago, my diet and health were impacted by the long hours and constant travel and then I discovered that what you put into your body can impact so many other aspects of your life. Two years later and I have lost 13 kilos, I am fitter than I have ever been, I am successful at work and I wake up every day looking forward to the new challenges that it brings.