Date and orange balls

Instructions

1 Place dates in a bowl and cover with 1 cup very hot water (almost boiling); leave to soak for 15 minutes.

2 Blend nuts in a food processor until they resemble fine breadcrumbs, then pour into a mixing bowl.

3 Drain dates thoroughly, checking there are no pips and reserving the soaking water. Place dates in the food processor, along with cocoa powder, orange juice and zest, then blend.

4 Slowly add the ground nuts while the food processor is running, until you have added them all. If the mixture is too dry, add a little of the reserved date soaking water. If it is too wet, add a little desiccated coconut until the mixture becomes firm enough to roll into balls that hold their shape.

5 Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into balls, then roll in coconut to coat. Place the balls on greaseproof paper and chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat (1-2 hours).