So nuts – Hazelnut cocoa energy bites

A few days and Sweden will welcome us for holiday! It’s now about washing the last machines of clothes, making stacks around the appartment with things we want to take with us, watering the plants, …

This time I also prepared a healthy travel snack for the two of us. I for my part always need to have a little energy snack at hand (f.ex. at work) in case of acute hangryness – no, you want to be around me when I’m in this state! Ask him … 😉

He for his part is … let’s call him … eh … hesitant when it comes to healthy snacks. But I got him with these energy bites. Lately I had made a first batch when he came back from work in the evening without having had time for lunch … and first of all storming the fridge! So now a jar of this chocolaty energy rich snack sits on his working desk.

I found the recipe on Mollys inspiring blog and immediately knew that I would like this treat: toasted hazelnuts, tahini, cocoa, … yes, please! (It’s a kind of take-away of this granola.) In the original version Molly forms granola bars out of the mixture, but I thought it would be quite practical to have this snack already bite sized. So I formed (it’s rather a pressing than rolling) little bite sized balls. I changed the ratio a bit as well and converted it into – for me so much more practical – weight measurements.

Some more – delicious looking – healthy snack inspiration based on dried fruit and nuts can be found over at Green Kitchen Stories and My New Roots. And if you’re looking for some more healthy travel food information and inspiration have a look at this and this post.

By the way: I didn’t want to post a recipe without having my camera back … but then I swallowed my pride and experimented with the possibilities of my mobile cam … not too bad, eh?!

Meanwhile I can hold my repaired and cleaned camera in my hands again – just in time for our holiday!

Hazelnut cocoa energy bites
[adapted from this recipe]

ingredients
200 g toasted hazelnuts,  150 g oats,  200 g dates, 30 g cocoa powder, 100 g tahini, 60 g (sugar beet) molasses, pinch of salt

preparation
In a food processor chop hazelnuts coarsely. Fill into a medium bowl. Do the same with the oats. Now pit and blend dates until they form a sticky paste (picture above). Move to the hazelnuts and oats, add cocoa powder, tahini, molasses and salt and knead until everything is well combined (alternatively you can knead the ingredients directly on your working surface). Form little bite sized balls with your hands. Place them in the refrigerator for 30 min. Store in an airtight container.