Spiced cacao Christmas truffles recipe

 These little bite size desserts will be the star at your Christmas feast! Whether they're the centre of your dessert table or you choose to gift them to a friend, these light and fluffy yet fudgy treats will tantalise your tastebuds.

Ingredients (makes 15)

Chocolate Base

• 1/3 cup raw cacao butter
• 1/2 cup cold-pressed coconut oil
• 1/4 cup organic maple syrup (you could use another liquid sweetener such as agave or coconut nectar, but this will affect the flavour)
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp vanilla bean powder
• pinch sea salt
• 1/4 cup filtered water

Truffle filling

• 2 tablespoons dried apple, diced
• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• 15 Brazil nuts, roughly chopped
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of ½ lemon
• 2 pinches ground clove
• ¼ tsp all spice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• to assemble - ¼ cup cacao powder for rolling the truffles in

Method

1. Melt the cacao butter and coconut oil by placing them in a dry mixing bowl, and sitting that bowl on top of
another bowl that’s been partially filled with almost boiling water. Be very careful not to let any water get into
the bowl. If needed, refresh the hot water underneath if the mixture cools down before the oils have
completely melted.

2. Once the oils have melted, add the maple syrup whilst keeping the bowl over the warm water, and mix
together gently. Add the cacao powder, salt and vanilla, and mix.

3. Keep stirring gently until the mixture is well combined, this will take about 5 minutes. The temperature
should remain warm around 41°C while mixing to ensure a smooth, consistent chocolate that won’t separate
easily.

4. Take just over ¾ cup of the chocolate (leaving the rest in your bowl sitting over the warm water), and place
in a clean and dry blender. Place the blender on its lowest speed, gradually pouring in the water until it’s
completely combined. Do not over-blend, or the mixture might separate.

5. Place the mixture in a separate bowl, and combine with all truffle filling ingredients. Cover the bowl, and
place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes until firm.

6. Line a tray with baking paper. Take spoonful’s of the mixture and roll into balls about 2.5cm in diameter,
before placing back on the baking paper. Once you have finished rolling the mixture into balls, place the tray in
the freezer for 5 minutes to harden up before dipping.

7. Now you are going to use that chocolate you left over the hot water to dip your chocolate truffles in,
creating that delicious crisp outer layer.

8. Firstly, refresh the hot water under the chocolate, making sure your chocolate is nice and runny. You can
then take the chocolate off the hot water and sit it on the bench.

9. Take the truffle centres you rolled, and using a spoon or fork, dip each one into the melted chocolate,
allowing any excess chocolate to drip of by angling your spoon or fork back into the bowl. Place each truffle
back on the baking paper.

10. Allow the outer chocolate layer to just set. You will see the colour become slightly lighter. While it’s still a
little soft, roll or dust in the additional cacao power (this last step isn’t necessary, I just like the look of it more
than anything).

11. Keep in a well-sealed container in the fridge.

Note - if you were making a larger batch you could use a food processor, but the size of this recipe is too small so we
used a blender.

Photographer: Aimee Magne

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