Did you know the addition of lemons to sweet desserts can be traced all the way back to Medieval times? In those days citrus fruits were pretty expensive in the UK, so these sort of puddings were only enjoyed by the super wealthy. Of course nowadays we can all pop to the shops and grab a couple of lemons for £1, which is great because these balls are too good to miss out on!

I’m a massive fan of sweet lemony things – I remember discovering Snapple lemonade in my local 7-11 when I was little and it fast became my favourite drink (luckily I was only allowed to have it on weekends otherwise I’m not sure if I’d have any teeth left). I also used to love hard-boiled lemon drops too, but again luckily I didn’t manage to get my hands on them too often either.

I think it’s the combination of tart, refreshing lemon with a little added sweetness that makes these kind of things so delicious, and our lemon meringue pie balls are no exception – they’re sweet, light and fluffy (like meringue) with just the right amount of tangy lemon. They’re the perfect summertime energy-boosting snack – although I have a feeling I’ll be making them all year round from now on – and the cashews and coconut mean they’re packed with protein and good fats.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (plus more for rolling)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• Zest of 1/2 a lemon, plus a squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Simply pop the ingredients in a food  processor and whizz for a couple of minutes until a sticky mixture forms. Roll this into balls, roll in some extra desiccated coconut and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes to cool. Store in the fridge or in an airtight container at room temperature.

PS these (like everything) are also amazing drizzled with some raw chocolate on top, so if you’ve got some lying around give it a go!

Love, Mrs H xx