Turns out Alicia Silverstone isn’t so Clueless!

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Have you seen or read Alicia Silverstone’s book “The Kind Diet?” A dear friend of mine loaned me a copy a few months back, and it’s actually a very good read. Not only does she talk about the health and moral benefits of eating well, she includes many good recipes. I’ve tried about a third of them, and keep coming back to this particular treat. Friends who were here last week for my first (of many!) vegetarian tasting night had the pleasure of snacking on this dessert.

Raw Balls (The Kind Diet)

½ cup walnuts

½ cup pitted dates

½ cup raw carob powder (I use unsweetened cocoa)

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup nut butter (almond or peanut)

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ cup chopped almonds (I only do this step half of the time)

2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut (get the unsweetened kind at Whole Foods)

Place the walnuts in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the dates, and pulse until well combined with the nuts. Add the carob or cocoa powder, syrup, nut butter, vanilla and salt. Process until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the almonds and pulse a few times until combined. Form the mixture into golf-ball-size balls with your hands. Roll the balls in coconut (or chopped nuts). Place in a sealed container in the freezer until hardened.

I leave mine in the freezer because I like the texture.