Hogweed seed spice is deliciously warming and is reminiscent of cardamon.
I crafted this recipe and served the sweets at a gathering of plant-walkers who had met to remember Frank Cook, herbalist and botanical explorer extraordinaire. Frank died on 19th August 2009.
He was also my plant mentor.
Each year I do a memorial event, and this year I decided to create these sweets to share with the participants.
It was a lovely gathering with beautiful plant people from various ‘disciplines’ attending.
I hope you like them.
Hogweed seed (see warning) is reminiscent of cardamon, so goes perfectly in floral tasting sweets and desserts.
Species used: Heracleum sphondylium
More hogweed recipes
- Quick-braised hogweed shoots
- Fermented hogweed borsch soup
- Spiced hogweed seed biscuits
- Sauteed hogweed leaf stalks with nettles & wild garlic
Ingredients
- 400 g pitted dates
- 300 g cashews
- 200 g mixed seeds
- 20 g coconut oil
- 2 tsp Naturya organic cacao powder
- 2 tsp ground hogweed seed spice (species used Heracleum sphondylium)
- Equal parts of ground flaxseed and almonds
Instructions
- Using a very hot frying pan (no oil) quickly toast the dried (not green) hogweed seeds until they emit their cardamon-like aroma.
- Grind in a pestle and mortar, or use an electric herb/coffee grinder, then set aside.
- In a food processor, process the cashew nuts, and mixed seeds until very fine. Like a coarse flour. Then tip into a large bowl.
- Next add the pitted dates (make certain there are no stones in the mix), and process. First, the dates will become a large ball, then as you continue processing the ball will get smaller and turn into a paste. Using a spatula empty into the bowl containing the ground nuts and seeds.
- Add the coconut oil, cacao powder and ground hogweed seed. Using your hands squeeze and mix everything together.
- The best way is to put your open hands into the mixture then open and close as if you were squeezing a ball. The mixture will press through your fingers, and you will get very, very sticky. But it’s fun. Like making mud pies as a kid was fun!
- Next, put equal amounts of ground flaxseed and ground almonds into a new bowl. Take a small amount of the date/nut/hogweed seed mixture and roll it into a ball. How big depends on the size of the balls you want. Then roll in the flaxseed/almond mixture to coat. Place in a container like a Tupperware box with a lid to store until ready to eat.
- “One for the box. One for me. One for the box. One for me”, et cetera.
- Makes: Roughly 40 balls the size of a 10 pence piece.
Thanks Robin, Frank was a mentor of mine too…his spirit lives on in the sharing… xx