Iron Booster Balls

[cathy79]

Name of Recipe: Iron Booster Balls
Yield: about 30
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried peaches
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 tablespoon wheat germ

Preparation:
Some peaches and apricots may need to be soaked in boiling water (10 minutes) to soften.  Mine were quite moist (not like tyre rubber) so were fine unsoaked.  If soaking, drain before proceeding.

Put everything in the bowl and blend on speed 9 for about 10 seconds.  Should look a bit like sticky dough.  Check it can be formed into a small ball.  Add extra juice if too dry, or extra coconut if too wet.

Roll mixture into small balls.

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks - mine didn't last the day.

Tips/Hints:
Just four of these balls contain as much iron as a whole cup of spinach (and much yummier).  The orange juice is rich in vitamin C which aids in the absorption of iron and makes the iron more available to our body than the iron found in spinach.

A wonderful iron boost for children who are fussy about eating meat and other iron sources.  Boosts iron, zinc, phosphorous, copper, manganese, vitamin a and vitamin c.

Can make all apricot or replace the apricot with figs for variation.  Orange juice can be replaced with apple juice if too tangy.
I normally replace nuts with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds if I want to send things to school.  Works well and tastes great.

Delicious!

Source: Feeding Fussy Kids by Julie Maree Wood

members' comments

CP - Didn't make a lot - probably about 15 and will probably double the mix next time. Thanks Cathy, these are nice little healthy snacks.

earth mumma - These are really tasty and my kids love them.  I have modified them a little as our school is nut free.  I make up a L.S.P. in the TM to substitute. Linseed, sunflower seed and pumpkin seeds - equal quantities of each until it makes up the right amount.  I also use the powder milk - not a big fan, but I can get some organic milk powder - not sure if it is any better - just as processed.  I also like to use 220 free dried fruit (have a sulphur allergy) so use a combination of apricots and dried apple as I can get these sulphur free but can't find any peaches. 

JD - I sent this recipe over to vegetarian DD in Melbourne and she loved it.

Shazzy - These are great - though don't make a lot.  Feel like I am being healthy when I want a treat!

Chelsea -  we didn't go much on them.  I think I played with the recipe too much though.  I used all dried apricots (the peaches would add sweetness) and I used seeds instead of the almonds.  Next time I will stick to the recipe. 

JD - I made these using dried fruit salad mix and substituting wheatgerm with oats - hoping I haven't played around with it too much to deprive DH of his source of iron but wanted to try it out on him with what I had in the house before buying the correct ingredients.  Not generally something he would eat but if I tell him it is good for him, he's pretty good about it.

em - I made these twice over the weekend and both times they were gobbled up very quickly! A lovely easy and healthy recipe, thank you.

Songria - These are wonderful thanks! I made the mistake of bringing some in to work and offering my colleagues some.  Regretting it now! Came home and made another batch straight away!

nazar - love these, they're so yummy.

Tam - Thanks for this recipe - my girls love it!!!!! I used a combo of dates, sultanas and apricots and used pepitas and sunflower seeds instead of the wheatgerm.... We don't have juice in the fridge as a rule and didn't have any fresh citrus but discovered some cranberry juice lurking in the depths of the fridge - worked really well!!!!!!  I blitzed mine for a little longer than stated - just to make them a little smoother.  Really easy and versatile!!!

classmyth - These are yummy! I milled the almonds to almond meal first, then added the dried fruit and chopped by turbo pulsing, then added the rest of the ingredients as cathy79 did.
The dried peaches are very high in iron - hence "Iron Booster Balls", substituting them for other things will still make them as yummy, but they obviously won't be as iron-rich.
Including the orange juice is important, as Vitamin C helps the intestine absorb iron more efficiently, hence why it's a good idea to drink juice with a meat meal if you're iron-deficient.
I left out the milk powder too, as calcium competes with iron when they are both trying to be absorbed in the intestine. I'm sure the author Julie Wood included it as a method of boosting the protein content. (PS the dried apricots and peaches both weigh 80g, almonds 40g, and coconut 35g)

I made these today using earth mumma's tip of LSP mix as a nut substitute and they were great!!!! I love them with almonds but our childcare centre is nut-free too so that was a fab tip!
The weights I have written in my cookbook are 10g pepitas, 10g sunflowers, 15g linseeds, then 80g peaches, 80g apricots, 35g dessicated coconut, 20g orange juice and 20g boiling water, 15g wheatgerm, 20g of powdered skim milk. I might be a bit light on the fruit.

[Thermomixer]

Thanks CB79 - might have to make some for the grandson. 

[quirkycooking]

Thanks Cathy - I'll have to make these!  I think I need some iron - feeling very tired!!!

[faffa_70]

Iron is a HUGE problem for me, always has been. I absorb it but don't store it well so always eating high iron foods, can't wait to try these they sound very yummy 

[cathy79]

I might use these as bribery to at least try some vegies - or would that be too cheeky  .

Apparantly a good nut free alternative is rice flour - I'd try sunflower seeds probably.

Jo - there's a couple of other ball/truffle recipes in this book which I'm looking forward to trying too.

Faffa - definitely not only for kids.  There's also a recipe for an Iron-Hit Smoothie which I haven'tried, but could post if you like.

[faffa_70]

Cathy that would be great. Something more to add the to menu would be most welcome  Thank you 

[I Love Bimby!]

Thank you so much for posting Cathy  Both DD and I have iron deficiencies so this will be a wonderful addition to lunch boxes etc 

Will have to seriously look at buying this book!

[quirkycooking]

Yes, I think I'll have to get this book too!!  Don't ask me where I'll put it - my recipe book shelf is already double stacked!!! 

[cathy79]

I just found the official website for this book.
Will check it out now.

Occasionally there are ingredients I don't really like (these balls had milk powder), but the recipes are easily adaptable and I just substitute something else in.

[CreamPuff63]

Made these today and now I have eaten the equivalent of 2 cups of spinach  Didn't make alot - probably about 15, (so I have had to hide them in the fridge) and will probably double the mix next time. thanks cathy, these are nice little healthy snacks.

[Thermomixer]

Good work CP63 - they do look good and hopefully the mice won't find them 

[CreamPuff63]

ssh i hid them in the vegetable crisper as I know the mice won't look in there 

[faffa_70]

ssh i hid them in the vegetable crisper as I know the mice won't look in there 

ROFLMAO  might have to try that one myself

[cathy79]

I had a look at dried peaches today - quite a bit more expensive than the dried apricots, so I think I'll stick to just apricots.

[quirkycooking]

ssh i hid them in the vegetable crisper as I know the mice won't look in there 

Sounds like a good place to hide chocolate!!!!