My friend and fellow food writer from Maine, Avery Yale Kamila, recently asked if I'd like to contribute a healthier version of a Halloween treat to her weekly "Natural Foodie" column.
I haven't been a huge "treats" person for the past 13 years because I wanted to clear my diet of sugar (particularly pies, cakes, cookies and candy) when I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. I decided back then to try fueling my body with nutritious whole foods instead. And when I started regaining my health and learning more about how good foods affect our health, I was even more determined to get the sugar out, and I did.
That said, do I think there is a place for treats in a healthy individual's diet? I certainly do, but my feeling is that a treat is a treat, meaning it's not an everyday indulgence -- it's an occasional thing. For me, that might be once or twice a week, and my treats are made with fruit or sweetened with a little brown rice syrup or maple syrup and eaten after a meal.
I don't crave processed sugary sweets like I once did because I'm eating three balanced meals a day, consisting of whole grains (and some cracked grains), beans (and bean products like tofu and tempeh) and lots of vegetables (about five to nine servings a day), filled with fiber and nutrition (no empty calories).
When Avery asked me for a recipe that was healthy or "a better version" for Halloween, I immediately thought of a mouthwateringly delicious, raw-food dessert I'd had at a potluck, made of nuts, dried fruit and a little coconut.
I decided to create a similar version, and what I came up with is decadently tasty. I'd wager that my Trick'Em Treats could sway even someone with the sweetest tooth into considering other "better-version" Halloween treats!
This raw, organic recipe can be made so very quickly and easily. With the help of a 3-cup food processor, it was a snap to make these treats in a hotel kitchenette last week. Unless you're cooking for a large group, this smaller-sized food processor rocks for quick and easy preparation and cleanup!
These tasty morsels are so easy to mix together and roll into balls that children could have fun helping to prepare them, too.
Trick'Em I
1¼ cups pecans
10 dried dates, pitted
2 tablespoons cacao powder (unsweetened)
pinch of sea salt (regular salt OK to use)
Put pecans into a food processor and chop for 15-30 seconds or until nuts are in tiny pieces, but not powder. Add the dates and the cacao powder and blend another 15-30 seconds. Roll into balls and serve. Makes 12-18 pieces
Trick'Em II
¾ cup pecans
6 dried dates, pitted
¾ cup golden raisins
Pinch of sea salt
¼ cup of cacao nibs or powdered cacao to roll balls in
Put pecans into a food processor and chop for 15-30 seconds or until nuts are in tiny pieces, but not powder. Add the dates and raisins and blend another 15-30 seconds. Roll into balls. Put the cacao nibs into a small dish and roll balls into nibs (or powdered cacao may be subbed).
This combination is a little sticker, but still easy to roll. Makes 12 pieces.
Would you consider trying this healthier kind of treat? Do you have your own version of a better-quality treat? Please share your thoughts here in my Comments section.
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