A Bite of the Tropics

Snow.  Again.

To distract me a bit, I thought it was time for a taste of the tropics to transport us somewhere we don't need to shovel again!   When I was home for the holidays, my mom had some dates she wanted to use.   I took it as a mission to put them to good use ;)

Sugarplums dipped in chocolate

We tried some Sugarplums, since visions of them were already dancing in our heads!   I thought the orange zest in these would pair nicely with a hint of chocolate, so we dipped them in a little semisweet chocolate ;)

Choc-Dipped Fruit-Nut Balls

I loved the combination of dried fruits in Molly's Chocolate-Dipped Fruit-Nut Balls, which look like little acorns with their semisweet chocolate hats ;)

Pecan Pumpkin Pie Bites

These Pecan Pumpkin Pie Bites were my mom's favorite!!    I'm not normally into traditional pumpkin pie, but these are little nuggets of heaven :)   Be sure to check out Lauren's recipe, the only thing we did differently is to roll them in unsweetened coconut instead of pecans!

Tropical Balls

Inspired by the bag of macadamia nuts my mom had, I came up with this version to transport us to a warmer climate...

Tropical Bites
Recipe by Shannon
Yield 20-24

heaping 1c roasted, salted macadamia nuts
2/3c dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4c unsweetened coconut
1t agave (or more)
1/2t vanilla extract
zest of 1 lime
1/2t lime juice (or more)
white chocolate, for dipping  (I used ~1/2c white choc chips)

Pulse macadamia nuts in a food processor until they have been chopped.   Add dates, coconut, 1t agave, vanilla and lime zest, then mix until mixture is well-blended.  Taste, and add lime juice (or agave) until the mixture starts to ball up.

Remove mixture from the bowl and roll into balls, ~1" in diameter.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.

Melt white chocolate in a double broiler over low heat.  Dip balls in chocolate and place back on parchment-lined sheet.  Place somewhere cool (outside works, if you've got as much snow as we do ;)) until chocolate hardens, then store in the fridge in an airtight container.  Enjoy, one at a time!  Or two, I won't tell!