Naturally sweet Fruit and nut balls

Press, 24 June 1981, Page 13

Naturally sweet Fruit and nut balls

Alison Hoist’s

Food Facts

It is remarkably easy to make fruit and nut balls (and bars) which taste much fresher and nicer than any commercially made varieties which I have tasted. When the price of dried fruit rose dramatically a few vears ago. I decided that mixtures like this were too expensive for everyday eating; but now that the price of butter, sugar and eggs has risen too. these fruity mixtures don’t seem nearly so expensive by comparison. There is no refined sweetening agent added in this recipe. The natural sugars in the fruits make the fruit and nut balls quite sweet enough.

Using a food processor, you can make these in a matter of two or three minutes — using a mincer it will take a little longer — but still less than five minutes (excluding the extra few minutes required for boiling the apricots and roasting the peanuts). You don’t need to work out

a formula for a mixture like this. Quantities can be altered to suit yourself. s It is important, however, that the fruit is washed' before use. so the mixture is not gritty, but you should not add excess waler, or you will have to add a lot of extra coconut to make the mixture

firm enough to hold its shape. This mixture will make 36 balls the size of small walnuts. 'a cup roasled peanuts . '2 cup washed sultanas '2 cup washed currants G dried apricots ' » cup orange or lemon juice ‘4 cup toasted sesame seeds (optional) ’■2 cup coconut extra coconut for coati:'” Roast peanauts just before they are to be. used for this recipe. Do not use commercially roasted, salted peanuts.

Food processor method Put freshly roasted peanuts in food processor bowl with metal chopping blade. Chop nuts roughly. Add sultanas. currants and apricots which have been boiled in the orange or lemon juice for 5 minutes, or until nearly all the liquid has 1 disappeared. Add sesame seeds and process until nuts and fruit are finely chopped.'Scrape sides of bowl occasionally, if necessary.. . Add coconut and process briefly, until evenly mixed, Add extra-coconut if mixture is too soft to be shaped into balls'-or bars which will keep

their shape. Work with wet hands. Mincer Method Assemble all ingredients, and mince in any order vou like using a fine hole ring. When everything has been minced, mix it with a fork, then mince it a second time. Add extra coconut if necessary. so you can roll balls which keep their shape. Work with wet hands. Roll balls in extra coconut. If coconut does not stick easily, dampen the surface of the balls. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, since the full flavour does not develop straight away.

Variations Replace sesame seeds with the same volume of (extra) peanuts. Replace currants with extra sultanas, dates or

figs. When you use different fruits the mixture may be softer or firmer. Add extra coconut fruit juice, sherry etc. until desired consistency is reached.