Ok, Christmas...bring it. This post is the first in a series leading up to Señor Santa's big arrival in around one month's time. This is not a drill, Christmas is mere weeks away.
What's the fuss, you ask? The fuss is, friend, I am the only vegan in a family of carnivores and this year I am going full vegan monty - no omnivore-friendly sides, mains or desserts. If you're at my table; you're going vegan. Starting with these Trouble-Free Vegan Truffles 3-Ways.
Three because I couldn't decide which I loved best; one white and dreamy, one dark and salty and the last brimming with Christmas flavours.
This year will mark the first Christmas in our house minus the scaffolding, building debris and general renovating carnage. We finally planted our Christmas tree in the garden, the one we have been lugging around in a pot for almost eight years and this week we will decorate it.
Under the tree we finally buried letters to our beloved dog Ruben who left us two years ago; each of our departed friends has letters buried under a dedicated tree and we wanted Ruben to have our Christmas tree. He blessed our lives for almost fifteen years and waking up to him felt like Christmas every morning.
This Christmas we get to stand still and think about all the things this house has witnessed. These walls have seen through us new jobs, new friends, losing family members, IVF, a new baby, saying farewell to our beloved dogs and bringing new dogs into the tribe.
They have seen our little family thrive and falter over and over and, to my surprise, didn't crumble like I used to think they would. This "project" is now our home and this Christmas feels like our first.
And I am planning a fuss-free holiday. I am getting a good jump start with these trouble-free vegan truffles and we'll do a simple but epic gravy and sides, vegetarian holiday stuffed squash and double chocolate rum cinnamon ice-cream to follow in the coming weeks.
These vegan truffles are ridiculously trouble-free. To make all three is around an hour's commitment plus setting time in the fridge and they are so good. Both the salted peanut chocolate truffle and the speculaa crumbed chocolate truffle are vegan tweaks of a Donna Hay recipe I saw many moons ago while the white chocolate coconut truffle is inspired by Fererro Raphaello.
If chocolate is your master, as it is mine, you will love these little guys. And sweets always taste better in threes.
While making truffles is a notoriously messy exercise, it is a bit of fun and something the kids can work on too. Rolling the dark chocolate truffles in a little cocoa helps with the mess but at the end of the day, truffles are truffles and making truffles is deliciously messy. That's half the fun.
Enjoy.
Trouble-Free Vegan Truffles (3-Ways)
Ingredients
White Chocolate and Coconut Truffles | yields 20 truffles
- 125 ml full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 170 grams white vegan chocolate
- a good pinch of sea salt
- 130 grams desiccated coconut + 50 grams to roll
- 40 grams blanched almond meal
Salted Peanut Chocolate Truffles | yields 20 - 22 truffles
- 80 grams unprocessed sugar I used rapadura
- 60 ml water
- 250 ml coconut cream
- 50 grams vegan butter
- ¾ cup smooth peanut butter
- 100 grams finely chopped salted peanuts
- 1 - 2 tablespoons of cocoa
- 80 grams unprocessed sugar I used rapadura
- 60 ml water
Speculaa Crumbed Chocolate Truffles | yields 20 - 22 truffles
- 250 ml coconut cream
- 50 grams vegan butter
- 100 grams vegan speculaa biscuits processed to a crumb
- 1 - 2 tablespoons of cocoa
Instructions
White Chocolate and Coconut Truffles
- In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk up to a simmer on low to medium heat.
- Stir in the vanilla extract before adding the white chocolate. Turn the heat to low and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the sea salt and stir.
- Remove from the heat and slowly stir in the coconut and almond meal.
- Press the mixture in to a bowl or lunch box and cover. Place in the fridge to firm for around 90 minutes.
- Place the remaining coconut in a bowl and using a teaspoon scoop out a heaped spoon of the truffle mixture. Roll the truffle in to a ball before rolling it through the coconut. Repeat with remaining mixture
- Place the truffles in the fridge, covered, for at least one hour and up to two days before serving. Take the truffles from the fridge and sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Salted Peanut Chocolate Truffles
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and reduce the heat and cook for around 5 minutes to create a deep caramel. Watch to avoid burning.
- Meanwhile, bring the coconut cream to a quick boil in another small saucepan before removing from the heat.
- When the caramel is ready, whisk it in to the coconut cream before adding the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted before stirring in the peanut butter.
- Line a small cake pan or tin with baking paper and pour in the truffle mixture. Place the container in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- To make the truffle balls, pour the chopped peanuts and a tablespoon of cocoa on to a chopping board. Line a tray or plate with baking paper and set it next to you. Run your hands under cold water and place a large heaped teaspoon of truffle mixture in to your palm. Roll it gently in to a rough ball before rolling it through the cocoa. Add more cocoa to your board as you need. Roll it again between your palms to create a smooth ball before rolling it through the chopped peanuts using your palm to continue smoothing. Place the finished truffle on the baking paper and repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Place the finished truffles in the fridge to set for 1 hour. Will keep in the fridge covered for up to two weeks. Take the truffles from the fridge and sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Speculaa Crumbed Chocolate Truffles
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low to medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer and reduce the heat and cook for around 5 minutes to create a deep caramel.
- Meanwhile, bring the coconut cream to a quick boil in another small saucepan before removing from the heat.
- When the caramel is ready, whisk it in to the coconut cream before adding the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
- Line a small cake pan or tin with baking paper and pour in the truffle mixture. Place the container in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- To make the truffle balls, pour the crumbed speculaas and a tablespoon of cocoa on to a chopping board. Line a tray or plate with baking paper and set it next to you. Run your hands under cold water and place a large heaped teaspoon of truffle mixture in to your palm. Roll it gently in to a rough ball before rolling it through the cocoa. Add more cocoa to your board as you need. Roll it again between your palms to create a smooth ball before rolling it through the crumbed speculaas using your palm to continue smoothing. Place the finished truffle on the baking paper and repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Place the finished truffles in the fridge to set for 1 hour. Will keep in the fridge covered for up to two weeks. Take the truffles from the fridge and sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
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