MAPLE ORANGE SESAME BITES (w/ almond pulp!)


These are a light, not-too-sweet, refreshing, nourishing snack for anytime. The recipe is adapted from one in a cookbook I love - What To Eat For How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen - by Divya Alter. The main ingredients are lightly toasted sesame seeds (feel free to leave them raw though) and almond pulp! Yes, that extra stuff you have left over after making your own almond milk! FINALLY, something to DO with the damn stuff. You can keep that almond pulp in the freezer until you have time to make this recipe, so you never have to waste it again. It's full of good stuff for your body, and hey, you paid it for it (I am assuming...?)

I had some almond pulp left over after trying Divya's luscious calming date milkshake recipe, which calls for almond milk. I usually just toss the pulp in the compost (which does end up fertilizing our garden, fortunately enough) but this time I wanted to use it. Divya has a note under her almond milk recipe that you can use the pulp in her sesame honey balls. I have altered the recipe so it is now totally vegan (simply swapped maple syrup for honey) but by-and-large I haven't changed it much from how it appears in her cookbook. It's full of fibre, healthy fats, uplifting flavours and the almond pulp lends a unique texture that I am now a fan of. Of course, use any nut you like. Hazelnut milk is a favourite of mine, and hazelnut pulp would work deliciously here. Pecans too! And walnuts! I will leave you with a fact: everything is cute(r) when you form it into balls roll it in sesame seeds.


MAPLE ORANGE SESAME BITES 
[ makes around 14 balls; adapted from the recipe in The New Ayurvedic Kitchen by Divya Alter ]

1/2 cup sesame seeds
2/3 cup almond pulp from your almond milk! (or almond flour)
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground cardamom seed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup maple syrup 
1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
Pinch sea salt

Toast the sesame seeds lightly on low heat until they are golden brown. Stir the seeds frequently so they don't burn. Alternatively you can leave them raw. Grind all the ingredients into a rough dough in your food processor. It will be a little clumpy but should mostly hold its shape. Form into balls with a spoon or by hand, and coat in more sesame seeds if you like. Leave in the fridge to set for at least an hour. Enjoy!