Festive Fruit & Nut Balls
A no-bake, make-ahead treat, this perfect combination of fruit and nuts is a nutritious and delicious mouthful. Rolling them in shredded coconut gives them their festive look.
- 3 dozen cookies
- 45 minutes
- 1 1/2 hours
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pitted and snipped dates
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/3 cup chopped pistachios, preferably unsalted
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
-
3/4 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Combine sugar, cranberries, dates and eggs in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, is pale yellow in color, registers at least 170°F on an instant-read thermometer and when a spoon is pulled through it, it leaves a clear trail. This will take 6 to 14 minutes, depending on how hot your stove's "medium-low" setting is.
- Remove from the heat; stir in pistachios, walnuts, pecans and rum extract. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 45 minutes.
-
With damp or lightly oiled hands, form the mixture into 1-inch balls (about 1 generous teaspoon each). Roll each ball in coconut. Place the finished balls on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and store in the refrigerator.
Make Ahead Tip
Place on wax paper; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. EatingWell cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.
Gluten-Free Disclaimer: We have verified that these recipes do not include the following gluten-containing ingredients: wheat (all varieties, including spelt and kamut, wheat germ or bran and other forms of wheat protein), rye, barley (in all forms, including malt, malt flavoring, malt vinegar and malt extract), oats, triticale or beer/ale. However, many processed foods, such as broths, soy sauce and other condiments, may contain hidden sources of gluten. If a recipe calls for a packaged (e.g., canned) ingredient, we recommend that you carefully read the label to be sure it does not contain a hidden source of gluten.
From www.eatingwell.com with permission. © 2009 EatingWell Inc.
