Raw Chocolate Truffles
I love Valentine’s Day. I always have. There is nothing better than a day dedicated to telling the people you love most just how much you care about them.
And it’s especially fun coming up with creative and heartfelt ways to do so.
Part of the reason I love Valentine’s Day so much is that it also gives me an excuse to be extra crafty. When I was young, I took such pleasure in writing clever notes on cut out hearts and stuffing them in the lockers of my secret crushes, then sneaking around the hallways hoping to catch a glimpse of them finding their little love notes. Even in recent years, I’ve made construction paper valentines for my dearest friends and family, decorating them with cut out animals and cutesy puns. Tied to a box of homemade raw truffles or rested atop a festive placemat to kick off a four-course, made-from-scratch meal, these are my favorite gifts to give. Since cooking has been always been my art of passion, I suppose it’s fitting that gourmet food is one of the gifts I am always most excited to share with my loved ones.
In fact, my favorite Valentine’s Day of all time was junior year of high school. My friend and I stayed up all night making heart-shaped boxes out of construction paper and filling them with sweet notes and chocolate kisses. We set up a table in her bedroom and decked it out with red cloth napkins, candles and rose petals. When our boyfriends arrive the next morning, we were busy in the kitchen preparing heart-shaped pancakes and hash browns. They came with homemade, chocolate mousse stuffed strawberries and single red roses in hand. The cutest part was that I wasn’t eating any processed sugar at the time, so my boyfriend made my strawberries sugar free. Now that’s true love! The fun of that Valentine’s Day was the simplicity of thoughtful, handmade gifts, abundant food and loving company.
Leave the expensive jewelry, crowded restaurants and overpriced roses for another day. A handwritten note and home cooked meal are a million times more memorable. Unless, of course, that restaurant were in Spain and the roses were accompanied by live Flamenco guitar. Now that would be a hell of a romantic Valentine’s Day…
Inspired now to make a homemade gift for your Valentine(s)? When wrapped up tight in a heart shaped box sealed with love, these raw truffles are sure to wow. Not to mention the fact that they are raw, Paleo, vegan* and absolutely delicious! Feel free to get extra creative with your rolling ideas - the options for color and flavor combos are endless.
*For a vegan option, you can substitute maple syrup or agave syrup for the honey, 1:1.
raw chocolate truffles
- YIELD: About 24 truffles
- PREP: 30 mins
These Paleo and vegan friendly raw chocolate truffles make a delicious and heartfelt Valentine's Day gift for all your loved ones.
ingredients
- 1 cup organic blanched almond meal
- 1/2 cup raw almond butter
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup unsweetened macaroon coconut
- 1/4 cup freeze dried raspberries
- 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together almond meal, nut butter, raw cacao, and raw honey until well combined. You can use another type of unsweetened raw nut or seed butter (tahini, sesame) if you prefer.
- Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes until the mixture firms slightly. This will make your truffles easier to roll.
- Meanwhile, crush freeze dried raspberries into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Then measure the coconut, raspberry powder, cinnamon, cacao powder and almond meal out in individual bowls. You will be rolling your truffles in each of these to make different colors and flavors.
- Remove dough from refrigerator, and using clean hands, roll into quarter-sized balls. Once you've formed your truffles, roll them in the various toppings to coat evenly. It is best to do all of one flavor at the same time and wash your hands in between to avoid mixing of flavors.
- Place an assortment in a small box lined in parchment paper. Wrapping the lid of a jewelry store box works great. Cover the box with the lid and freeze until you are ready to present your homemade gift box or after dinner treat. These will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
