Chocolate Truffles

velvety, dark, and the perfect dessert for when you're told not to bring a thing

BODY / SOUL FOOD

Have you ever needed a dessert that is no-bake, one-bowl, and comes together in under twenty minutes? I know I have. Like many of the best culinary ideas, these were born from the adrenaline-fuelled creativity that an imminent deadline and limited ingredients induces. Diamonds are made under pressure.

Not quite a bliss ball (although they are heavily inspired by over a decade of making them), and not quite your traditional chocolate truffle, this deliciously decadent treat exists in a realm between the two. These truffles are velvety, dark, and sophisticated. They really are the dessert to bring when you’re told not to bring a thing.

The hero ingredient is none other than cocoa powder; in all of it’s mood-boosting, antioxidant- providing, magnesium-laden glory. It’s worth investing the time and money to find one with a flavour that you love for this. For an even richer nutrient hit, you could use cacao powder, which is the un-roasted sibling of cocoa powder. By foregoing the heat treatment that cocoa powder undergoes to round out it’s flavour, cacao powder contains an even greater nutrient profile and has a slightly more acidic note.

Cocoa powder provides a much more traditional truffle experience. Both are delicious, both are nutritious, and whichever way you choose to take it these are a must-make.

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tbsp almond butter

1 1/4 cups almond flour

1 1/4 cup cocoa powder + extra for coating

1/4 cup date syrup (silan) or maple syrup

1/4 unrefined brown cane sugar or coconut sugar

Pinch Kosher Salt

¼ tsp Vanilla extract

A dash of cinnamon

Coatings:

1/4 cup finely crushed nuts. Such as: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, sesame seeds, or cacao nibs

1/4 cup different finely crushed nuts

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Method

Melt your coconut oil in a glass bowl.

Add your date syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and salt and stir until combined.

Sift your cocoa powder over the wet ingredients. Add the almond flour and fold through. The mixture should be like cookie dough - fudgy, and not too greasy to the touch. If in doubt, add an extra tablespoon of almond flour.

Rest in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up a little. Meanwhile, prepare your coating station by sprinkling each of your chosen toppings onto a small plate.

Roll even teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Toss to coat in your selected toppings.

Set in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Pantry Note: If you’re using walnuts, almonds, or pine nuts to coat your truffles it is so worth the extra effort to roast them a little before hand. These nuts truly come to life with a bit of time in the the oven (although if you’re doing pine nuts, watch them like a hawk). In the context of these truffles this added element of roastiness amplifies the same notes in the cocoa, giving a beautiful depth of flavour to the overall truffle experience.