NATURAL ENERGY WITH RAW AVOCADO MACA TRUFFLES

NATURAL ENERGY WITH RAW AVOCADO MACA TRUFFLES

Holy smokes, you guys, these tasty little treats HAVE to be a part of your life.

Make them and keep them on hand for all those chocolate + sugar cravings that creep up!

These Raw Tangerine Maca Truffles will satisfy your sweet tooth, boost your natural energy, pack your body with vital nutrients, essential amino acids and minerals, and leave your soul satisfied after enjoying one or two. These little truffles have the trifecta of superfoods: avocado, cacao, maca.

The former two are widely talked about for their nutrient-rich properties, but the latter might not be as familiar. Allow me to break it down for you.

Maca powder is known for its energy and stamina booting properties. You might have heard that ancient Peruvian civilizations used to give this to the warriors before heading off to fight. Pretty neat. And since we're all grown up's here, Maca root is a natural aphrodisiac, and boosts stamina that way too :). It increases libido and has fertility increasing capabilities. Maca is well known for its ability to regulate hormones (it doesn't produce them, but it signals our body to stay in balance and produce the right hormones when needed).

Maca is also amazing because it is an adaptogen, which means that it normalizes the body and keeps systems at homeostasis and in balance. With our stress load these days, we could all use some Maca in our lives. Can I get an Amen?!

Also, Maca has noteworthy effects on decreasing migraine headaches, when consumed has antidepressant effects, and also supports a healthy immune system.

As you can see, Maca is just all around super.

Now that you are obsessed with Maca, here's the recipe that will make your soul smile.

We've provided the recipe below, and there are a few options to tweak it to your preference. Please let me know if you have any questions; the goal is to empower you with healthy, life-giving recipes, so that you can contribute to improving your own health, along with your family and community!

I love to use essential oils (100% pure - see note below) when baking/cooking, wanting to add more flavor and increase medicinal properties to a dish, but you can swap for orange zest, if you don't have any pure essential oils on hand.

RAW TANGERINE MACA TRUFFLES

Ingredients:

1 Large avocado, ripe
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa/cacao powder
3 tablespoons date paste (see instructions below)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon raw maca powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
3 drops Tangerine Essential Oil** (or Orange, Lavender, Bergamont).
Pinch of sea salt


Coating options:

Cocoa/cacao powder
Cacao nibs
Finely shredded unsweetened coconut
Raw hemp seeds

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Form into balls* and roll in your chosen coating, then place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer  for 15 minutes, then transfer to airtight container and store in the refrigerator where they will continue to harden, and stay fresh for up to 1 week.

*Note: For easiest ball forming and rolling, use a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop, and drop directly into a small bowl with coating ingredients. Shake bowl around a bit, then use fingers to roll ball around to finish coating. Gently place on baking sheet.

**Note: Tangerine Essential Oil is used in this recipe and you can swap for different oils/flavors. Be cautious when consuming essential oils, as most store-bought brands are synthetics (man-made with chemicals). I only trust Young Living Essential Oils because of their Seed to Seal guarantee of 100% purity and integrity in all stages of essential oil production.

Date Paste (aka Date Caramel)
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
30 pitted dates (sticky kind, otherwise soak them for 5 minutes in hot water).
3-4 Tbsps hot water, or a little more if texture needs to be more smooth
Pinch of sea salt, optional

Directions:
Add pitted dates to a food processor. Pulse on low until small bits remain. Then stream in hot water while on until a paste is formed. Scrape down the sides, if needed. Only add enough water to form a thick paste. Transfer to airtight container and keep in fridge for 2-3 weeks.