‘Candied’ Activated Chocolate Nuts
Here is a great easy recipe to try : perfect for home -made presents during holidays or just as a treat that’s healthy and delicious.
It’s a good idea to make a mix of nuts for maximum nutritional value- all nuts are rich in omega 3 and 6 fats and many minerals, vitamins and antioxidants:
-Cashews are rich in zinc, selenium and manganese
-Pecans are rich in vitamin E, B group vitamins as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium
-Walnuts are rich in vitamin E, B group vitamins as well as manganese, copper and iron
Nuts are great sources of fibre and are a great on the go snack.
It’s best to buy organic or pesticide free nuts as some varieties are heavily sprayed. Also, buying nuts that are packaged in plastic bags is (unfortunately) a better choice as this prevents rancidity, or even better buy them in shells and crack the shells open yourself for maximum freshness (good arm workout for the holidays:)
‘Activating’ the nuts by soaking in an acidic medium (such as a splash of apple cider vinegar, lemon or whey in filtered water) overnight is important to remove phytic acid that binds the amazing minerals mentioned above and prevents you from absorbing them.
This recipe is definitely ‘a treat’- maple syrup and cacao make this a sweet snack, so watch the quantities:)
Candied Activated Chocolate Nuts
Ingredients:
-5-6 cups mixed nuts of choice (I used cashews, pecans and walnuts)
-3 tsp raw cacao powder
-4 tbsp. maple syrup (or molasses or raw honey)
How to:
-Soak nuts in filtered water with apple cider vinegar, lemon or whey in a large bowl overnight. Note, only soak cashews for max. 6 hours
-Drain and rinse nuts. Pat dry with paper towel
-Spread nuts on oven trays and dehydrate at 60C overnight (you can use a dehydrator also)
-In a glass mix cacao and maple syrup or sweetener of choice until mixed evenly and forms a ‘syrup’
-Place all nuts in bowl and add the cacao/maple syrup. Mix thoroughly to coat the nuts
-Return to oven tray and dehydrate on 70C for about 6h or until crispy
-Allow to cool. Place in lovely packaging of choice and add a label with a message:)