Raw Christmas pudding balls

These festive raw Christmas pudding balls are packed with festive flavour and are super simple to make. Store them in the fridge if they don’t all get devoured at once.

ingredients:

8 dates
8 dried figs
1 cup raw almonds
zest of 1 orange
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup pecans (or walnuts) coursely chopped
1 tsp mixed spice (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves)

optional topping:
white chocolate melts
cacoa butter
vanilla essence / 1/2 scraped vanilla bean
dried cranberries

method:

Process the almonds to make a course meal. Add the dates, figs, orange zest, mixed spice and process until it forms a ball/mass.
Add the chopped pecans/walnuts and currants and mix in with your hands.
Roll into small balls (1 tsp mixture) and put in the fridge to set for 20 minutes.
While setting, melt the white chocolate and butter, vanilla for the topping and drizzle over each ball. Top with a cranberry.

Enjoy

recipe from Jean Hailes, naturopath

If you like something sweet after your meal, these festive raw Christmas pudding balls will hit the spot without pushing you over the “I’m so full I feel sick” edge.
With many of the ingredients of a typical Christmas cake or pudding, but without the additional sugar, flour or eggs, these balls deliver a delicious sweet hit.

The dried fruit used is high in fibre, the figs provide some calcium and, although dates and figs are high GI*, currants are low. The topping helps add to the festive look and feel.

Adding nuts to the mix helps to moderate the natural sugars found in dried fruit and lower the overall GI of the recipe. The almonds are also blended to help form the base, while the delicious pecans / walnuts provide texture.

Orange zest replaces traditional mixed peel and helps create a bit of the ‘brandy’ taste often found in Christmas cake/pudding. The aromatic spices are traditionally used to ease digestion, which is often welcome after a rich meal (try sipping on peppermint tea for additional digestive ease).

These balls are quick and easy to prepare in advance (store in the freezer if making more than a few days ahead) and they will add colour to your festive table.

*GI (Glycaemic Index) is a measure of how a carbohydrate food affects your blood glucose level. Low GI foods produce gradual rises in blood glucose levels, as they are more slowly digested and absorbed than higher GI foods. Low GI diets help in the management of diabetes

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