Hazelnut Chai Brownie...Balls

Finally, I have forced myself to write about another recipe I served at my Christmas party—one of my favourites, too.  This one comes from Green Kitchen Stories, a blog I love and which has very reliable recipes; I used a couple for my Christmas party. I had been wanting to make their Raw Hazelnut Chai Brownies forever and, after a few failed cookie recipes, I thought it'd be a nice break from baking.

For my initial trial of this recipe, I made it in brownie form, as directed, and weighed my ingredients. They tasted terrific. I loved when I would get a bite with a little nugget of the vanilla bean. I had to make three batches in the weeks leading up to my party, because I, and the members of my family, kept eating them all.

After the test run, I knew I wanted them for my party, but their brownie form didn't seem ideal as finger food. So, I made them into balls, rolled them in cocoa, and, yay, the problem was solved. To serve, I prefer them cold and firm—straight out of the fridge, or, because I couldn't help myself, out of the freezer. However, if you let them sit at room temperature, they turn rather soft and have a smooth texture.

Raw Hazelnut Chai Brownie Balls
(adapted from Green Kitchen Stories)

Ingredients:

• 380 grams (21) plump, Medjool dates
• 52 grams coconut oil
• 40 grams cocoa powder
• 10 grams ground flax seed
• 40 grams maple syrup
• 1 vanilla bean, roughly chopped.
• the contents of 3 chai tea bags (4 grams)
• 2 pinches fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

Instructions:

1. Process everything in a food processor until a smooth dough forms. Work in chopped hazelnuts by hand.

2. Roll into tablespoon sized balls, and place on a lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until set, or at least a half hour.

3. Roll in cocoa powder and serve—I wait until they are set to roll them or the oils just absorbs all the cocoa dust.