Walnut Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

I had the choice last night of either bringing a side or a dessert to our small group. My question: is there really any decision that needs to be made?! Dessert any day! 🙂

Yesterday was busy, so I didn’t have a chance to run to the store. You know what that meant…raiding my fridge and pantry and making something out of what I had on hand.

Well, it certainly helped that I had some inspiration…and that inspiration came from Dimple over at Shivaay Delights. She recently made these delicious looking chocolate snowballs (which I do hope to try at some point). Her recipe inspired me to make a ball of yumminess that was low-glycemic and that I didn’t actually have to cook! 🙂 Thanks Dimple!

WALNUT DARK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BALLS

*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

Serving Size: 10-12 Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 cup whole walnuts, food processed
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Fresh squeezed juice from 1 whole orange

Directions:

• After measuring out the walnuts, put them in a food processor until they become small pieces.
• Cut the orange in half, and squeeze all the juice from both sides into a large bowl.
• Melt the coconut oil, and add it to the juice.
• Add the honey and vanilla to the juice mixture, and mix thoroughly.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, small pieces of walnuts, cinnamon, and chocolate chips, mixing well.
• Now combine all the ingredients together in the large bowl.
• Make small balls with the dough, placing them on a non stick baking pan, or you can line another dish with wax paper and use that. Just make sure the balls are not touching one another.
• Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins with Chocolate Orange Sauce

From as little as I can remember, every Valentine’s Day my dad would get both my mom and I a heart shaped box of chocolates. I looked forward to it every year!  Once I opened mine I had one mission: take a bite out of every single piece until I found the one I was looking for….the one filled with orange cream. 🙂

To me, there is no greater combination than orange and chocolate!

As I have been thinking about this, I just knew that I had to experiment and try to come up with a muffin with this very combination. So, that is exactly what I did yesterday, and I am so happy with how they turned out!

I took a picture of the inside of the muffin, so you could see what it looks like. I love being able to see the orange zest in it. 

• Servings: 12 Muffins
• Print

*Created by Lori at Creating Beauty in the Kitchen

For muffin:

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

For Sauce:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

(I ended up with extra sauce, so you probably won’t need it all. I saved mine to pour over some fruit!)

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Mix the flours, baking soda, salt, and zest in a large bowl.
• Mix the eggs, orange juice, coconut milk, and honey in another bowl. When mixed well, then combine them with your dry ingredients.
• Add in the chocolate chips and mix thoroughly so they are spread throughout.
• After greasing the muffin tin, pour the batter in.
• Meanwhile, make your sauce by first melting the coconut oil.
• Combine the melted coconut oil with the orange juice, honey, and cocoa. Mix well.
• Pour some of the sauce over each muffin.
• I normally cook my muffins for 20 minutes, but this one I ended up cooking for 24. I think this was due to the extra liquid in it.
• When finished cooking, let cool, and then eat! 🙂