Pepping things up with Chocolate Energy Balls

Maintaining energy levels throughout the day is a challenge. For me, nothing packs the punch of these delectable treats.

This snack is highly portable, so it's great for folk who hike or play sports. I'll often cart a few Energy Balls to work, to help combat a mid-afternoon slump.

What's more, these make a fabulous substitute for commercial energy/protein bars -- they're certainly cheaper -- and crammed with chocolatey goodness to boot.

What follows is a twist on a recipe I found at Whole Foods, my favorite grocery store, which unfortunately hasn't yet made it to my corner of the world. (Sigh. A girl's entitled to dream.)

Chocolate Energy Balls

Nutty mixture:

• 1 cup nut butter (e.g. almond, peanut)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

optional:

• 1/4 cup milk powder
• 1/4 cup hemp
• 1/4 cup ground flax

Coating:

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup nuts (finely chopped or ground)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Add nut butter, honey and cocoa powder to large mixing bowl. Stir with wooden spoon.
2. Stir in raisins and coconut (2 tbsp), then chocolate chips.
3. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
4. For coating, place coconut (2/3 cup), sesame seeds and nuts in a small bowl.
5. Spoon up nutty mixture and roll into 1-inch ball. Toss ball around in coating mixture.
6. Store in container with tight lid. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Remember, as delicious as any recipe is, a good measure of the pleasure lies in the making -- a taste test (or two), creatively substituting ingredients (more about this in a later post), and licking one's fingers clean. So have a blast in your kitchen.

Who says healthy can't be fun?