Fig and Pistachio Power Balls

When you want to get the most out of busy days you need healthy snack recipes up your sleeve. Not necessarily for every day... (I'm not a believer in daily snacking)... but for long days, for crazy, fun packed days.... these power balls hit the mark.

Pistachios are packed full of essential vitamins and antioxidants and they are an excellent source of iron, which boosts your energy to override feelings of sluggishness and keep you fired up.

With only 2 dried figs in the whole recipe these are not overly sweet either. Give them a go and watch your Va-va Voom 

Ingredients

1 cup of shelled pistachio nuts

1 tbsp of almonds

2 dried figs (soak these first in a small mug of hot water, for about 10 minutes)

1 tbsp of flax seeds

1 tbsp of raw cacao nibs

dessicated coconut for rolling (approx 2-3 tbsp)

Method

Dried figs can be really dry and not as sticky as dates (unless you soak them first)

Take your figs and place them in a mug, cover with hot water and leave them for 10 mins or so but don't throw away the water... 

Once the figs have softened and rehydrated a little you can add them to a mixer (like a Magimix) with the pistachio nuts, almonds, flaxseeds and cacao and blitz them all up. If you think you need a little more moisture to bind them together into balls, you can add a little of the soaking water from the figs.

Once the mixture holds well together, roll into balls; they should be really good and sticky now.

Sprinkle your dessicated (unsweetened coconut) into a flat bottomed bowl and tip the balls in one at a time, rolling around until they are covered in coconut frosting... then place in the fridge to set.

*** When I take power snacks out on the slopes I dont bother with ball shapes; I press the mixture flat in a tin and then sprinkle my coconut flakes over the top and cut into squares... wrap up some squares in baking paper and you are good to go ***