'Healthy Christmas Treats Made With Love And Comvita Honey'

Christmas is the time of year for baking special treats for all our family and friends, this Christmas season why don’t you make them all the more special by using honey as one of the ingredients?  The Comvita website is featuring recipes for Christmas nibbles – healthy sweet treats, made with love…….. and honey.

ALMOND & CRANBERRY BLISS BALLS

•200g ground almond
•100g cranberries
•60ml orange juice
•1 zest orange
•2 tsp Manuka Honey 5+
•3 tsp chia seed

Soak cranberry in orange juice for a few hours to soften. Blitz in food processor adding almonds, zest, honey and chia seeds. Roll into 30g balls and into the coconut (Makes 12 balls)

CHOCOLATE GINGER BALLS

These balls can be made well in advance and frozen – they thaw in minutes so are best served straight from the freezer with coffee.
•100 grams crystallised ginger
•1/2 packet gingernut biscuits
•150 grams cream cheese, softened
•3 tbsp Comvita Manuka Honey, melted
•1/2 cup coconut 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Coating
•1/2 packet easy-melt chocolate buttons
1. Cover the crystallised ginger with warm water and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to soften the sugar coating. Drain, rinse under cold water, then dab dry with absorbent paper. Chop finely and set aside.
2. Crush the gingernuts finely, then add to the cream cheese, honey, coconut and ground ginger. Mix together. Add the finely chopped crystallised ginger.
3. Combine well and shape teaspoonfuls into balls between the palms of your hands and place onto waxed or baking paper. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Melt the chocolate and coat each ball in it. Place onto a tray covered with aluminium foil to dry. Freeze until ready to serve with coffee. Makes approximately 50

SWEET AND SPICY WALNUTS

•3 cups walnut halves or pieces
•1/3 cup Comvita Wildlands or Southernlands Honey
•1 tbsp vegetable oil
Coating Mixture
•1 tbsp castor sugar
•1 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
•1/4 tsp ground cloves
•1/4 tsp ground ginger
•1/2 tsp ground mixed spice

Combine the coating mixture in a medium-sized bowl. It’s essential to have it at hand before you start cooking the walnuts. Heat the oil and honey together in a large heavy-based frypan, until the honey melts. Add the walnuts and toss to coat. Stir continuously for a few minutes until the walnuts are lightly roasted and the syrup is golden. Pour the walnuts into the coating mixture and coat. Spread out onto a lightly oiled tray to cool. Break into small pieces once cold. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 3 cups.

For more information on Comvita please go to http://www.comvita.co.nz .