January 10, 2011
Nutty Apricot Balls
This month, Lauren of Celiac Teen is hosting Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free. Her theme is Follow the Calendar, which gives you lots of choices. When I looked over this list of January Food Holidays, and saw that January 9th was National Apricot Day, I knew I had to make an apricot recipe. You see, I had a bag of dried apricots in my pantry that I had been meaning to use for several months, but it just hadn’t happened. This was the motivation I needed.
I did a little recipe searching and decided to modify this very simple recipe for Apricot Balls. The biggest challenge was making it dairy free since the recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk. I figured all that was really needed was something sweet, thick, and sticky, and so I decided on honey. I also added a little bit of pecans to the balls and chose to roll the balls in pecans. I like the flavor and protein they add. I used sweetened coconut for this, but you could use unsweetened. You might want to taste test and consider adding a little sweetener of choice because the apricots can be a bit tart.
The apricots are definitely the strongest flavor in these slightly sweet treats. One small ball packs plenty of flavor and chew which means that eating only one or two is satisfying. I like that.
A food processor is the best choice for making these. If you don’t have one, you could try other methods, but I’m not sure how well they will work.
I haven’t tried this recipe with other dried fruit, but I bet it would be good. It might be fun to try different fruit and nut flavors. What do you think?
Nutty Apricot Balls
- 8 oz. dried apricots (unsweetened)
- 1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
- 1/4 c. + 1/3 c. pecan halves
- 1/4 c. honey
Place the dried apricots, coconut, and 1/4 cup pecan halves in the food processor. Process until finely chopped and combined well. Add the honey and process until it is evenly distributed. Place the mixture in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate about 30 – 60 minutes until chilled through.
Use a spoon to scoop up a small amount of the mixture. Press it together with your hands and form a small ball 1 – 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll the ball in the finely ground nuts. Place on a serving plate or in a container. Store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
View Printable Recipe
This post is linked to the following food carnivals. The recipes you will find there are not necessarily gluten free, but many of them are or can be easily adapted.
Labels: dessert recipes, fruit desserts, Go Ahead Honey
Comments:
<< Home
What a great job on making these dairy free in such an easy way, Linda! I love them. Yum. Of course, you know you had me at honey. ;-) I still need to figure out what I'm making for GAH. Hmmm.
Hugs,
Shirley
Hugs,
Shirley
Do those look good! I don't get dried apricots here but, maybe I could try it with dried dates and add a little homemade peanut butter inside the middle.
Mmm- looks like a great recipe! What about tart dried cherries and pecans? Trader Joes has dried mango pieces that are still pretty soft- they would be fun for this recipe with the coconut and maybe a squeeze of lime. So many possibilities!
I love, love, love dried apricots! I chop them up and put them in my hot cereals. I never thought to make them into a sweet treat. They're gorgeous. They remind me of donut hole days! Happy Apricot Day!
I am fuming. Wordpress just told me, I don't own this identity. They do this too often for me and I get to retype the comment but without the original interest. Growl.
I was thinking of making this with dried apples. What about pineapple and mango (dried)? I can think of a lot of combinations. You are inspiration.
I was thinking of making this with dried apples. What about pineapple and mango (dried)? I can think of a lot of combinations. You are inspiration.
What a great treat! I sometimes try to make gluten-free for for work since there's a few coworkers who need it and this would be great!
Great for the holidays ... or you know, right after the holidays too, cause January is so blah otherwise right?
Hi
I have made a similar recipe adding lots of dried fruits and honey, grinding the fruits with a small food grinder that attaches to a table or counter lip. It also does ground meat better than a food processor, and comes with different blades. You have to turn the handle. Very retro, but fun for kids.
I have made a similar recipe adding lots of dried fruits and honey, grinding the fruits with a small food grinder that attaches to a table or counter lip. It also does ground meat better than a food processor, and comes with different blades. You have to turn the handle. Very retro, but fun for kids.
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
Post a Comment