Dough-Nots!

I am ready to start my recipe section up!  When pondering over what recipe I wanted to share with all of you, my favorite recipe popped to mind....Raw Doughnut holes!  But let this be the first time I call these something else because going around and offering family and friends raw balls or raw doughnuts just makes people give me the eyebrow; you know when one eyebrow is up and one is down. I call it the what the f#@% face.  Of course with one bite, they have been loved by all!  Anyway I have decided to call them, Dough-Nots!

I am sadly not the first person to want to replicate the wonderful LaraBars.  If you have never had a LaraBar they are amazing Raw bars (you can find them in the isle with energy bars).  Being able to understand everything in the ingredient list is extremely important to me and even more so now! Doesn't get more clearer than these ingredients; Dates, Walnuts, Almonds, Raisins, Cashews and cinnamon! Which happens to be my favorite LaraBar, Cinnamon Roll....yum!  After eating these I knew I had to find a way to make them because even though they are delicious the cost can add up at over $1.00 a bar.  I went searching the web in hopes I would find some recipes that people may have tried. I was not alone, a lot of people are recreating these scrumptious bars!  I found one recipe where they made it into raw doughnut holes and I adapted mine from that.

Ok I know you have been waiting and I have been rambling on so here it is!

Dough-Nots!

1 cup of Almonds (raw Organic almonds soaked overnight, drained and dried)
1 cup of Dates (I use Organic Medjool Dates, they sell them in bulk at Hannaford)
3/4 cup of Dried apricot ( your choice here can use any dried fruit, I love using dried apricots! No sugar or    sulfur added though!)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Cinnimon
1/4 cup of shredded coconut if desired


Step 1: Put almonds in food processor and pulse till almonds are about pebble size or slightly smaller.

Step 2: Add dates, (you may have to take pits out first if you did not get pitted dates), Add the 3/4 cup of other dried fruit ( you can mix fruit as well, apricot and pineapple or raisins and apricot, etc), salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and pulse till combined. It will get very chunky you may need to stop the processor to scoop sides and pulse again.  Just pulse enough to mix together and break up the dried fruit.

Step 3: Put mixture into a bowl and squish together with hands(it will be sticky). Then form into balls.  Now this is my favorite part.  If you wish you can roll in shredded coconut.  To me this makes them look gourmet! and I love the taste of coconut.

Voila! Eat and Savor!

There are a lot of different ways you can make these, for instance rolling them in cocoa powder or make them more desert like with adding chocolate chips! At Christmas time I made ginger Dough-Nots with dried pineapple and it was amazing...so play around, they are so YUMMY you wont regret going Dough-less :-)

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                   Ashley