Although many of you are thinking about balls today, on Superbowl Sunday, we are thinking about food. What else is worth thinking about on a freezing Sunday morning? Make these today to bring to your Superbowl parties later! These unique and tangy treats make a great host/hostess gift!
Chocolate-Covered Almond-Tangerine Balls
This recipe makes 30 balls
- 4 small tangerines
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 pound raw slivered almonds
- 1 cup nondairy chocolate chips,or 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
HOW TO: Squeeze the juice from 1 of the tangerines and strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. Combine the juice with the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring often. Lower the heat slightly and simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool. Rinse and peel the remaining tangerines. Place the peels in a small saucepan with enough water to cover them completely and bring to a boil. (Save the fruit to eat at another time.) Boil the peels for 5 minutes (start timing after the water boils). Drain and rinse the peels under cold water. Drain again and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels so there is minimal moisture on the peels. Remove any black spots. Combine the peels and the almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container as necessary. You may need to process them in 2 batches, depending on the size of your food processor. Do not let the mixture become a paste. Transfer to a bowl, add the juice mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Shape into 1-inch balls using wet hands. Let the balls rest uncovered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours to dry out a bit. Dip the balls in the melted chocolate until evenly coated all over. Arrange the coated balls in a single layer on waxed paper and refrigerate to allow the chocolate to harden. Store layers of balls between waxed paper in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Note: Although any vegan chocolate may be used for dipping, rice milk or soymilk chocolate tastes the best.
Recipe via Sharon Valencik. Sharon enjoys creating vegan delicacies, traveling the world in search of vegan restaurants, and is active in the New York City/New Jersey vegan community. Sweet Utopia is her first book. Read it/ buy it.