Scott Jurek's Balls

This is a slight modification of the "SHOCK-O-laht" energy balls in Eat and Run. I've simplified it a little and made tiny alterations to suit the products that I can get in England. Of course, a puerile heading makes for good site stats!

Makes 10 inch-diameter balls

Place all of the ingredients, organic wherever possible, in a stout food processor:

1/2 cup

cocoa nibs

1/2 cup

raw cashew nuts

10

pitted dried (but 'soft') dates

1/4 teaspoon

mixed spices

1/2 teaspoon

vanilla extract

pinch

table salt

1 teaspoon

sunflower or soya margarine

1 tablespoon

water

Whizz the whole lot together until it's well chopped and the particles become a coherent mass. Pinch off bits of the mixture and roll into inch-round balls and place them in a plastic box. You should end up with around 10. Chill for at least 30 minutes and then enjoy. The approximate macronutrient profile of each ball is:

85kcal

55g

23g

18.5g

74g

So make sure you do plenty of running if you eat more than one!

If you want to get really into the nutrition side of things, consider whether cocoa is 'healthy' or not? Some say it's an addictive stimulant, others that it's a super-food. Go on, do a Google search. My feeling is that we need a range of foods with an array of micronutrients and a 'sensible' amount of any won't do any harm...