Our second son is our “superbowl baby”. The day he was born last year, we were home to JUST hear the national anthem, as we were rushing out the door to the hospital, and he was born 2 minutes before the end of the game. Second babies really do deliver quickly!

And so far, his favorite word is “ball”. He has said dada and mama, but everything for him is BALL!

So here are some of my inspirations for his ball themed birthday. I like to have some variations- I am making a small cake for him that is egg and only fruit sugars. The rest are as sugar-free as possible.

Football Truffle

Ingredients

3/4 cup (192 grams) salted natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 cup (75 grams) almond flour (or sunflower flour)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt, if desired (more if your peanut butter is unsalted)
1-2 teaspoons coconut flour, if needed
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (150 grams) chocolate chips
1/2 tablespoon (7 grams) refined coconut oil (butter if not vegan)

Icing

1/4 cup (170 grams) white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup, almond flour, vanilla and add salt to taste. Once thoroughly combined, let sit for 5 minutes. If the mixture is firm enough to easily shape into balls, move on to the next step. Otherwise, mix in 1/2 teaspoon of coconut flour at a time until the dough is firm enough. Wait about a minute or two after adding it to judge its consistency.
Roll the mixture into 16 balls. I used 19 grams or slightly more than a level tablespoon per ball.
Then roll into ovals and pinch the ends to create football shapes. If you find yourself re-rolling several times and the dough becomes dry, a tiny bit of water or vanilla can be added.
Place a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat on a cutting board or something else flat that can fit in your refrigerator. Place the milk chocolate chips and coconut oil in a very small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Dip the top of one football into the chocolate, and then use a small fork to flip over and cover the rest of the football in chocolate. Shake the chocolate-dipped truffle back and forth briskly but gently to drizzle away the chocolate. Place on the parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining footballs. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the chocolate has hardened.
Place the white chocolate chips in a very small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Place the white chocolate in a piping bag and pipe on the white lines of the football. I used a knife to wedge under the footballs to make piping the lines around the sides easier. It takes a little practice so leave the best looking footballs for last!
Keep refrigerated until ready to use / serve. They'll keep well for several days. They'll sweat as they come to room temperature but the liquid disappears after about an hour. If you're worried about it, make these truffles on the day of serving and store at room temperature.

Notes

For paleo, use almond butter or another type of nut butter (except peanut butter). Every brand and type of nut butter is slightly different. You may have to add more coconut flour if using almond, hazelnut, etc. butter.
Make sure to use vegan, dairy-free, paleo chocolate chips and paleo white chocolate if needed.