Orange Maca Truffles

There are so so so many recipes for truffles, and this is just one in the ocean of possibilities.  Play it up as you'd like.  Make them into balls and roll them in coconut or cacao or cacao nibs. Another option is to sprinkle coconut on the bottom of a dish (as you would flour, to keep mixture from sticking) and press in the mixture to form bars.  Refrigerate, cut and wrap...these are even better than the fruit/date bars you'd buy at a store...and so much healthier too. 

We made these for our Whole Foods demo last week on raw foods, and everyone loved them. Now, granted, these are dense - not for lounging around and enjoying while watching TV but rather to be used as fuel while on a hike, running, vigorous exercise, that type of thing.  

2 cups walnuts

 1 to 1.5 -cup dried unsulfured apricots (diced small)

¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (plus ½ cup set aside)

grated zest of one organic orange

1/4 cup orange juice, as needed

1 tablespoon maca powder

2 T vanilla extract

few pinches salt

Process the walnuts and salt in a food processor until it resembles rice, but not more.  Add in the apricots, salt, vanilla and maca and process until it starts to stick together between your fingers.  If needed, add a little of the orange juice as it mixes, until it really starts to stick together.   Timing is critical since over processing lets out the oils in the nuts (making a nut butter).

Remove the blade and scoop out about 1 tablespoon worth (I use the smallest cookie scooper utensil) and roll it between your hands to make a small ball.  Roll it in the coconut and set aside in a container.  Keep going until you’ve used all of the dough.  Sprinkle the remaining coconut around the truffles so that they don’t stick together, and refrigerate at least 2 hours to set.  Again, you can also make these into bars.  They keep well and taste delicious.  Enjoy!