When he was small, my youngest son had a habit of filling his pockets with treasures he encountered in his daily adventures. I didn't always understand the value he saw in his chosen objects -- really, how many rocks and sticks could one boy keep? In his eyes, though, each one was beautiful and important. Life is just like that on a larger scale, isn't it? We gather up the precious bits of our experiences and save them all to learn from and enjoy later. Perhaps you'll find a little something here that you'd like to keep in your own pockets. Thanks for visiting.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Chocolate hazelnut snowballs

Around our house, a cherished holiday tradition has always been the making and sharing of sweet treats with family and friends.   Though what we make has evolved over the past few years due to both food sensitivities and a desire to eat better (even at Christmastime), the sentiments behind the tradition -- a feeling of togetherness and the simple enjoyment of special foods we've made with our own hands -- remain unchanged.

These no-bake chocolate hazelnut snowballs have become a new favourite in our house during the holiday season.  The idea originally came from a recipe for nut butter balls by Jeanne Marie Martin in The All Natural Allergy Cookbook, and over the past few Christmases I've made several changes to it.  This year's version is my best yet!

Chocolate Hazelnut Snowballs

1 500g jar of natural hazelnut butter
1/2 cup of honey
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 cup of finely chopped raw hazelnuts
unsweetened shredded coconut (for coating)

In a bowl, mix together the hazelnut butter, honey, cocoa powder, and chopped hazelnuts until well combined.  Chill mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls, then roll each ball in coconut to cover.  Chill snowballs before serving, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.  (Makes approximately 45 snowballs.)

These chocolatey, nutty treats are simple to make, free of gluten, dairy, eggs, and refined sugar, and  really delicious!  Served in festive mini-cupcake papers, they make a really pretty addition to any holiday sweet tray.  Enjoy!



6 comments:

  1. I found these over at All Gluten-Free Desserts. My favorite fella is a chocolate hazelnut fiend. These are going to make a terrific Valentine's Day gift!

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    1. So nice to meet you, Johnna! I hope your favourite fella loves these snowballs as much as we do! :)

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  2. I made these last night and they turned out amazing! Kind of taste like Ferrero Rocher...but better! I made them to take to a friend's, but now I think I'm going to double the recipe and take them to two more holiday dinners. Thanks for posting this!

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    1. You're welcome, and thanks so much for letting me know this, littlebluerobot! I'm really glad to hear that you're enjoying these treats. They're one of my family's favourites, too. :)

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