Butter Balls

We are currently under construction at my house; or rather, destruction.  We're tearing down a part of our house so it can be rebuilt (correctly, this time.)  So you'll have to bear with me if my posts are a bit sporadic; I'm still eating keto, and still trying new recipes, and I'll post them for you as often as I can.

My mom used to make these cookies called butterballs.  They were basically flour, sugar, chocolate chips and lots of butter, baked in the oven and rolled in powdered sugar.  Since it's summer and I'm drowning in fresh, homemade butter I thought....well, why not?  Keto isn't just about low carb, it's also about eating high fat - healthy fats, full of nutrients and hunger-busting fat-calories that can't be converted to glucose.  I've been looking for ways to increase my fat intake; when you're busy, it's easy to fall back on proteins.  Which are great for you, don't get me wrong; but the ideal is to teach your body to burn fat as fuel.  That's how those lumps around your hip and belly melt away.

I realize most people don't have access to large amounts of fresh, high-quality butter like I do, but these would make a good treat for anyone.  I recommend spending the extra money on good quality, unsalted butter; salted butter is usually of poorer quality (the salt hides a multitude of sins.)



Butterballs
1/2 lb sweet cream butter
2 Tbsp stevia powder or Splenda (or add more to taste)
1-2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
70% or greater cacao chocolate bar

Allow butter to come to room temperature.  Mix in stevia, salt and vanilla; blend till smooth.  Slowly mix in coconut flour till mixture begins to thicken; coconut flour absorbs moisture like crazy, so feel free to adjust to get the texture you want.  Grate the chocolate into the mixture; fold in gently.

As is, it should have a taste and texture similar to cookie dough.  If you want a firmer texture, you can drop by spoonfuls onto a plate or small cookie sheet and refrigerate for a few hours.  Enjoy!

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I have a hard time not eating a lot of this in one sitting; but then I'm not hungry for hours.  They're tasty with good staying power.  If you don't have coconut flour, I think almond flour would work well too; it would be a different texture, but the nutty flavor should add a nice richness to the mixture.  I'll try that next time, and tell you how it comes out.