Mini Fig and Walnut Cakes

I had dried figs and walnuts in my cupboard and rather than simply snacking on them, I decided to try making some mini cakes. To my surprise and joy, they worked amazingly! Soft and mourish, these little bites of joy really help me get through the day. They're also great boosts after a work-out! For the chocolate topping, I used a coconut oil that is quite strongly coconut flavoured - super yum, but if you have a flavourless coconut oil, you could add another flavour like a teaspoon of orange or lemon juice if you like :)

I think I may try turning this into a big cake next, and see how it goes :) I'd have to work out a delicious but healthy filling though (if you have any ideas, please comment and let me know!)

Makes 20 mini cakes

Ingredients:

• 100g walnuts
• 150g dried figs (any hard stems removed)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (other milks will also work fine)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey (or 1/2 tsp stevia and 1 tbsp of water)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Pumpkin seeds to finish (optional)

Method:


1. Preheat the oven to 180c (160c fan)/355F/gas mark 4.

2. Blend the walnuts, figs and almond milk together until all of the nuts have become finely ground.

3. Beat in the eggs, then add a heaped spoon to each cake pop mould (so that it fills the mould).

4. Bake for 7-9 minutes, until the top feels firm. Set aside to cool then remove from the moulds.

5. To make the chocolate, melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over a low heat. Once it has fully melted, add the sweetener (maple syrup, honey or the stevia/water) and the cocoa powder, and stir until all of the cocoa powder has dissolved.

6. Take off the heat and pour into a small bowl. Leave for a few minutes to cool - it will thicken slightly.

7. Dip each mini cake into the chocolate and place in the fridge to set.

8. I topped mine with a few pumpkin seeds, but if you have spare walnuts, you can use these instead. Both options give a nice finish to the mini cakes.

9. Enjoy!

Nutrition per mini cake (using maple syrup in the chocolate glaze):
69 kcal, 6.1g total carbohydrates (4.2g sugar), 4.6g total fats (1.1g saturated fats), 1.7g protein