Gooey Chocolate-Peanut Butter Drops

Gooey Chocolate-Peanut Butter Drops
Post by Tisha
(From Oxygen Magazine's "Balls of Energy" recipe)

Yields: 26 drops (1 drop per serving)

Brief Description:
These gooey treats are more than delicious and satisfying, they are actually good for you.  Can you believe it?...a healthy dessert that doesn't taste like "health food!"  When I saw this recipe, I knew it would be good and the final product proved me right.

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups dates, seeds removed
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup natural peanut butter (or any other natural nut butter)
1 cup whey protein powder (e.g. ON 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein Powder-Double Rich Chocolate)
1/4 cup unsweetened, cocoa baking powder
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 to 1 cup walnuts or almonds, chopped (1/2 cup of almonds were used in this batch)

Directions:
1. In a food processor (or blender), blend dates and water.  Add nut butter and blend until smooth.
2. Add protein powder in 1/4 cup increments and process.
3 Then add cocoa, flaxseed, and cinnamon and process until well blended. (Note: Be careful not to overwork your food processor (or blender). You may need to finish mixing with a spoon.)
4. With clean hands, gather some dough and roll it between the palms of your hands.  Keep a bowl of protein powder on the side, just in case the dough starts to stick to your hands.  Use a small spoon to scoop the dough out of the bowl.
(Note: refrigerating the dough overnight makes it easier to work with the next day.)
5. Roll each ball in the chopped nut (walnut or almond).  Set each ball on a baking sheet.  Place in freezer for 2 to 4 hours.  Serve or freeze for later.

Tip:
-These gooey delights are packed full of energy (hence their original name, "balls of energy").  Oxygen magazine suggests eating 1 ball for a preworkout snack (about 1 hour before) or 2 immediately postworkout.  Knowing that two of these are waiting for us after our workout, I am sure we will be pushing ourselves even harder during our exercise routine ;)
-Here are Oxgyen's direct words, "...Rich in selenium, copper, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and B-complex vitamins, the dates in this recipe ensure energy metabolism is working full force throughout your workout.  And with antioxidant protection from carotenoids and phenolic compounds plus anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats from flaxseed and walnuts, muscle soreness is minimized while whey protein replenished depleted glycogen stores for optimal muscle growth."

Per Serving:
Calories-102
Carbs-16g
Fat-3g
Protein-5g
Sugar-11g
Sodium-36g