Apricot orange 'bliss balls' and gluten free choc chip cookies

This year has been particularly tricky for me because I really love to bake. Healthy eating and baking don't generally go hand and hand and so I've had to find some healthy alternatives to treats. One of my favourite go to snacks are these little 'bliss balls'. They take about 5 mins to make and are seriously so delicious. You just need a blender or food processor.

• 1 cup dried apricots
• 100g ground almonds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut
• Zest 1 orange
• 1 Tbsp natural honey
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp water
• ⅓ cup desiccated or thread coconut, for coating

1. Place apricots, ground almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut and orange zest in a food processor and process until the mixture is like fine crumbs.
2. Add honey, coconut oil and water and pulse.
3. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls approximately 3cm in diameter. Roll in desiccated coconut to coat and chill in fridge for about 1 hour until firm.
4. Store bliss balls in a covered container in the fridge.

Recipe is from Taste magazine.

These cookies are also one of my favourites.

This recipe is based on the one from Elana's Pantry (a really awesome Paleo blog). 

2 ½ cups of ground almonds
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup honey
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
A  handful of walnuts or pecans

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
Mix wet ingredients into dry
Form 1-inch balls and press onto a baking paper lined baking sheet
Bake at 180° for 7-10 minutes
Cool and serve

Makes 24 cookies