Lemon ginger drops

Yes, and it is even the best way to make a large batch in advance. Spread the balls on a tray without letting them touch, freeze them for two hours, then transfer them to a box or bag: they will not stick together. Allow up to three months in the freezer. Thawing takes ten to fifteen minutes at room temperature, or straight in the fridge the night before. The one precaution with this recipe: coconut oil hardens a great deal in the cold, so give them time to soften again before biting in.

The structure is always the same: a sticky binder, a dry ingredient, a flavouring. The binder is soaked dried fruit - dates, raisins, apricots - which brings the natural sugar and the hold. The dry ingredient absorbs moisture and gives the texture: desiccated coconut, oats, blended nuts, chia or flax seeds. The flavouring, finally, makes all the difference: citrus zest, ginger, cocoa, vanilla, spices. What makes an energy ball 'healthy' is not a precise recipe but the absence of added sugar and the choice of whole ingredients.

In practice, allow three stages and a food processor. Start by softening the dried fruit - one to two hours of soaking is enough, as for the raisins here - then drain them carefully, otherwise the mixture will be too wet. Next, blend with the dry ingredient until you have a mass that holds together when pressed between your fingers, adding the flavourings at the end of blending. Finally, chill for half an hour: the mixture firms up and becomes far easier to roll.