Chocolate sunflower seeds

The Big Island of Hawaii lured me away for the past few weeks. It was my escape from the winter cold where I could be free of heavy coats and gloves, and sit by the ocean eating a papaya. The temperatures in the 80s made me sweat but I loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, the trip ended all too soon.

I brought back an idea for a recipe I wanted to try and share. There was a little snack shop in Hilo called Wilson's by the Bay. They made chocolate-covered sunflower seeds which I hoped I could eat. I had to pass because the chocolate coating contained sugar. I promised I would try making the treat without sugar when I returned.

They were a snap to make. But beware. They are quite addictive. I made just a small batch to lessen the temptation. I also diluted the chocolate with sunbutter to reduce the amount of saturated fat which can be a problem for me. You can make it with straight chocolate if you prefer.

Here's my recipe for Chocolate-covered Sunflower Seeds (and a few pumpkin seeds too).

Ingredients:
1 small square 100 percent cacoa

1 T. sunbutter without sugar

3 T. raw sunflower seeds

1 T. raw pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Melt the cacoa and sunbutter in a microwave-safe container. Stir in the seeds to coat with the cacoa-sunbutter mixture. Spread the chocolate-covered seeds out on a pan and place in the freezer to harden the coating. When ready, munch on a few and store the rest in a covered container in the freezer.