Whiteley Creek Homestead

This morning, I stopped by Twiggy's Treasure Market, a reasonably priced shop filled with a delightfully eclectic mix of new and old in downtown Brainerd (Minnesota). Since I didn't have an overabundance of time and I was making a sincere effort not to be distracted from my list of errands, I slipped in ever so briefly. My eyes were immediately drawn to this cheerfully bright gingham-edged plate.

When I got home, I filled the plate with quick and easy chewy nut treats using a recipe from thefitnessfreak.blogspot.com. They are so delectable, I made two batches but varied the second batch just a touch as indicated in the recipe below. 

Chewy Nut Treats

Yield: 12 balls

¼ cup raw almond butter

1 tbsp unsweetened baker’s cocoa powder (I use Ah!Laska organic nonalkaline.)

2 tbsp honey or agave (I used brown rice syrup for the 1^st batch and honey for the 2^nd batch.)

¼ cup 2 tbsp raw cashews, chopped

¼ cup 2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds

¼ cup 2 tbsp raisins

1 tsp sea salt (I omitted in the 2^nd batch and I didn’t miss it at all.)

Stir first three ingredients together, then stir in remaining ingredients. (I tossed it all together then stirred.) Using a tablespoon-size measuring spoon, form into balls and place on a sheet of natural unbleached parchment paper. Refrigerate, if you like, to make them more firm. Note: The first time I made this recipe, I used ¼ cup each of nuts, seeds, and raisins as the recipe stated. However, the 2^nd time around I chose to cut the quantities of those three ingredients in half so that the wonderful flavor of the chocolate mixture would take center stage. I also found that the original amount of nuts, seeds, and raisins was too much to incorporate into the chocolate mixture and coat the balls’ exterior.