Wrapping up the end of the 45th week with a gluten and dairy free nibble, Brazilian Bliss Bites. Yum. We decided to enjoy them with a cup of tea and a game of chess on a snowy afternoon.

Dates contain more than double the amount of potassium than a similar amount of bananas. Cacao is high in Magnesium; Magnesium is important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA. Brazil nuts are high in Selenium; Selenium is important for reproduction, thyroid gland function, DNA production, and protecting the body from damage caused by free radicals and from infection.

Brazilian Bliss Bites

• 2 cups organic walnuts
• 1 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 16-20 soft Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chia seed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a food processor, add in the walnuts and process until a crumbly texture is formed (about 15-20 seconds).
2. Add in cacao powder and sea salt and pulse to combine.
3. With the machine running, slowly add in the dates, a few at a time, through the feed tube, so they can fully incorporate into the mixture. Make sure that the dates are blended into the mixture before you add more. Process until all of the dates are incorporated into the mixture.
4. The cacao mixture should resemble brownie crumbs at this point. You can test the mixture by pressing it in-between your fingers. It should easily stick together and you should be able to easily mold it into a ball, if not, then add more dates, but if you use 16-18 dates, your mixture should be perfect!
5. Transfer the cacao batter to a medium-sized bowl and add in shredded coconut, chopped brazil nuts and chia seeds.
6. Take the mixture and press it down into a parchment lined 13 x 9 pan.
7. Cover and place the cacao mixture in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours, (or freezer to have them cool faster) as the bites taste better when cooled and are easier to cut.
8. Once cooled, lift the parchment paper and cacao mixture out of the pan, and cut it into bite sized bars or squares.
9. Storage: Wrap the cacao bites up tightly in the parchment paper and then with a layer of tin foil, or store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. Bars will keep fresh for up to one week, but they probably won’t last that long.