17 Mar Vegan Chocolate Truffles

I leisurely flip through recipe books the way many people enjoy a magazine. I love the photography, enjoy the written content and deeply admire the creativity. A recent book I have been enjoying is by vegan author Celine Steen. I came upon a truffle recipe that screamed, “Try me….but make a few changes!” Intrigued, I thought I would experiment using products that we love and carry: Zazubean organic Fair Trade chocolate, coffee substitute Dandy Blend, the best ever Cacao nibs by Giddy Yoyo, local maple syrup and other goodies. It also calls for coconut cream. Coconut cream can be obtained by placing a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for several hours, and then simply scooping the thickened cream that rises to the top. It’s such a handy and nutritious way to get decadent cream without dairy. You’re welcome 😉

Vegan Chocolate Truffles

100 grams of dark vegan chocolate (about 1 full Zazubean “nudie” bar plus 2 rows of a 2nd bar)
3 tablespoons of coconut cream
1 tablespoon maple syrup (we used Roost Maple Syrup)
1 teaspoon Dandy Blend
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/16 teaspoon or a “pinch” of Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons or so of cacao nibs, crushed to a powder
2 tablespoons or so of crushed, toasted coconut

Over medium heat, gently whisk coconut cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, Dandy Blend and salt. Once blended, remove from heat and add vanilla. In a double boiler, gently melt chopped dark chocolate. Combine coconut cream mixture with melted chocolate and let sit for about 45 minutes at room temperature. Roll mixture into balls and place on parchment-lined plate. Place in refrigerator for about 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and roll in powdered cacao nibs and/or crushed toasted coconut. Store in fridge; however, please allow truffles to return to room temperature before eating to enjoy the full flavours!