Chocolate Passion Balls

By AVISHAG BEN MENASHE

Ah, chocolate!

That succulent, sensuous, seductive fruit of the cacao tree has been used throughout history as a means of currency, a show of devotion and a display of economic opulence

They say that 99 percent of the people in the world love chocolate, and the other 1 percent just don’t want to admit it.

And it’s not just chocolate’s tantalizing taste that makes it one of the world’s most coveted foods. High quality bitter chocolate is also a good source of potassium, fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc and selenium.

Recent studies show that even eating a a small amount of dark chocolate twice a week can help lower blood pressure and regulate the heart.

These sumptuous chocolate balls are a celebration of flavors to make with the kids, sharing the sweet batter as you prepare the ingredients.

They are so good that they might be addictive so addictive, so be sure to prepare a double batch so you won’t run out.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of finely broken walnuts

200 grams of dark chocolate (I recommend using quality dark chocolate composed of 60 percent cocoa solids and more.)

375 grams of butter cookies or biscuit cookies

1 1/2 cups of vegetable cream1 tablespoon of cocoa

1 tablespoon of chocolate powder

For the coating:

Ground coconut, colorful baking candies, a tablespoon of cocoa and a tablespoon of chocolate powder, divided into small bowls to be used for dipping the balls in.

Preparation:

Melt the chocolate on a  bain-marie double boiler or in the microwave, making sure to not bring to a boil. Slow cook until the chocolate becomes thick.

Meanwhile, break the cookies into small bits or grind them in a food processor.

While the melted chocolate is still hot, add the cream, cocoa and chocolate powder and mix well, until it becomes a smooth and uniform mixture.

Add the broken nuts and cookies to the chocolate mixture, and blend well.

Using a spoon, take a small amount of the mixture and roll into a round ball shape. Repeat until you have used all the mixture to make the balls.

Place each ball into one of the coating bowls and roll it inside until it is completely covered with coating.

Roll all the balls out of the mixture and arrange them in a vessel with an airtight lid.

The chocolate balls should be kept refrigerated. They can be kept in the refrigerator in a closed container for up to two weeks, and in the freezer for about two months.

If you want, you can switch out the dark chocolate for milk chocolate, and the vegetable cream for a sweet milky cream.

AVISHAG BEN MENASHE is an Israeli-born mother and wife who loves to cook, write recipes and share original tips and ideas that will make cooking in any kitchen a true celebration of life. For more recipes and culinary inspiration, check out her Instagram page.