Popped Sorghum Snack Balls
Ingredients
¼ cup sorghum - (should yield approx. 1 cup popped)
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup tahini
¼ cup brown rice syrup
2 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted nut/seed butter)
3 to 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Begin by popping the sorghum:
Stovetop method: Heat a small stainless steel pot with tight fitting lid over medium heat. Once hot, add ¼ cup sorghum and cover. Shake the pot occasionally to prevent burning. Once the popping has slowed to 6-8 seconds between pops, remove from heat and uncover. Be careful of the steam! Move the popped sorghum to a bowl to cool.
Microwave method: Place ¼ cup sorghum in a paper bag. Tightly fold the bag closed and place folded side down in microwave. Cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on the oven. As mentioned above, stop when there are 6-8 seconds between pops.
In a large bowl combine the 1 cup popped sorghum and 1 cup oats.
In a small bowl combine the tahini, brown rice syrup, maple syrup and salt. Warm slightly in the microwave (just 15 seconds or so). Alternatively, warm these 3 ingredients in a small pot on the stove.
Pour the tahini mixture onto the oats and sorghum, stirring to combine. Add the sesame seeds and continue to stir until everything is well incorporated.
Barely wet your palms (to prevent sticking). Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture into one hand and squeeze tightly. Then roll the mixture between your palms to form a smooth ball. Continue rolling the balls, re-wetting hands as necessary.
Notes:
Similar to popcorn, sorghum burns easily. Don't be frustrated if you have some burnt pieces! I've found that even if a few start to burn, the rest of the batch is fine and won't carry burnt flavor into the recipe.
You may have some unpopped sorghum left in the pot or bag. Use a slotted spoon, allowing the unpopped grains to fall through, to separate it from the popped pieces.
Store the treats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.