Cocoa Fruit Treats

If you are craving a naturally sweet, easy to make healthy treat that you won't feel guilty indulging in, then you simply must make these fudgy little fruit and nut nibblers that I just had to try after seeing Ricki's recipe for cocoa nibbles recently. I was especially attracted to the range of possible flavor combinations, and accordingly proceeded to explore my cupboards. The result was even better than expected! Think fat, chocolatey fruit leather without artificial sweetener and with just a hint of spice. These delightful slices of bliss will keep for a week in a covered container in the fridge, but I dare you to resist gobbling them all up after a short chill. Serves as many as you feel generous enough to share with.

Cocoa Fruit Treats

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Diet, Dessert and Dogs Published on June 3, 2008 Naturally sweet, guilt-free and no-bake cocoa treats with pistachios, dried fruits and a hint of chili Print this recipe Ingredients: 2/3 cup raw unsalted pistachios 1 cup dried dates, pitted and chopped 1/4 cup dried unsweetened prunes, chopped 1/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries 2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder or carob powder 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes Instructions: In a food processor, pulse together the pistachios, dates, prunes, cranberries and cocoa until you have a coarse meal. Add the vanilla and red chili flakes, and process until the mixture forms into thick ball of dough. Turn the mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap and, using your hands, shape into a roughly 8-inch log. Cover with plastic wrap, roll the log a few times to compress, and chill for a few hours or longer. Cut into 1/2-inch slices to serve. Makes 16 rounds