Craving Chocolate?

I wanted chocolate one day but not sugar and I found these on Susan's blog fatfreevegan.com here http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/06/11/coco-choco-balls/ They are my new favorite treat. Thank goodness they don't make very many!
Cocoa Chocolate Nut Balls
Ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews (or mix sunflower seeds in — in any proportion you want, or use 100% sunflower seeds)
1/4 cup dried, not dehydrated, finely diced fruit (cherries, raisins, dates, figs, apricots, etc.)
1 tbl carob powder
1 tbl cocoa powder (or substitute carob)
2 tbl shredded coconut, chopped very fine or ground
1/4 cup raw (unsalted) almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini (adjust for consistency — add more ground cashew)
1-2 tsp sweetener (honey, agave syrup, sucanat, etc. Amount as desired) — dates sweeten enough without additiional
2 tbl coconut milk (or more for proper consistency)
sesame seeds or chopped, shredded coconut as needed (since these are for rolling, it’s hard to estimate).
Optional: green powder: spirulina/chlorella plus

Preparation:

Grind cashews (a food processor or blender works).
Mix dry ingredients: ground cashews, carob, cocoa, and coconut (+ sweetener if crystalline). When mixed well, add dried fruit.
Optional ingredient here is the green powder. Add 1 tbl if desired. Just watch consistency and add more coconut milk if necessary.
Mix in coconut milk, almond butter and sweetener.
Consistency should be moist but able to form into balls and not stick to your hands. If too dry, the ingredients won’t hold together.

Roll amount (recommend ~ 1 tbl – 1 inch diameter) of “dough” between hands.
Roll in and coat with sesame seeds and/or coconut.
Roll again to sink seeds into ball.

This makes about 8 candies. I like to freeze them though it’s not necessary and they don’t freeze entirely but firm up some. These are really good if they sit in fridge overnight; the coconut flavor comes out.

*I used peanut butter (tahini didn't seem very dessert-ish) and 2 Tbl of cocoa powder because I didn't have carob, and the tiniest bit of agave for sweetness.

Cinnamon Cherry Almond Granola

I base my recipe off the one found here.

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup almonds, sliced (I buy my raw and whole and chop them)
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup quality honey

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Some salt
1 cup coconut
1 cup dried cherries, chopped (or any other dried fruit)

Stir oats, almonds, oil, honey, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Spread on a cookie sheet and cook at 300 degrees for 20 minutes total. Stir every 5 mins and add the coconut for only the last 5 minutes. Add cherries afterwards. The trick is to not overcook. If it looks done in the oven it will be overdone. Just cook it 20 minutes and it will harden up when it's cooling.

I've also made a super-coconut version by adding some coconut extract.

(My changes to the original recipe were to lower the amount of almonds and coconut to cut down cost-although it is still way cheaper than store bought any way you make it- and to lower the honey and add a little brown sugar so the taste is not overpowering with honey flavor. The sugars can be adjusted slightly by you and your tastes. And it needed some salt with the sweet.)

Granola Balls from the wholefoods website

Made in our house for the last few years instead of cookies, these are granola balls. They go just as fast as cookies but you can feel slightly better about giving your kids and yourself some healthy fat and some fiber to slow down the sugar.

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 c coconut
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c honey
1/4 c brown sugar (can be reduced-it's just so the honey taste doesn't overpower)
1/2 c trail mix (I usually add more) (I love the kinds with lots of fruit in them)

I forgot that the original recipe calls for you to toast the oats and coconut on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees but I find it unnecessary and I skip that part.

Heat peanut butter, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients and form into 1 inch balls. Refrigerate an hour before serving (a step that doesn't often happen here.)