Cathy Katin-Grazzini

Cacao Truffles

These little decadent chocolatey morsels are so simple and fast to make, they almost make themselves. A perfect and pretty sweet end to a meal and particularly delightful with espresso or tea. Sweetened with dates, and covered in cacao and ground freeze-dried blueberries and tart cherries, cacao truffles are rich in antioxidants. They’re a lovely gift for Valentine’s Day, but I freeze them to have on hand for whenever friends pop over for a visit.

1.5 cups pitted dates, any variety, pitted and soaked

½ cup raw hazelnuts or almonds, ground into meal

1/3 cup raw organic cacao powder

½ teaspoon ground vanilla seeds

¼ teaspoon white miso paste (optional)

Garnish with cacao powder, powder from ground dehydrated berries, and/or your favorite seeds or finely chopped nuts

Hints

Many vanilla powders are adulterated with fillers and sweeteners. Avoid them. Disregard the front label and instead look at its ingredients. Choose one with a single ingredient: vanilla beans. It will have the most intense flavor.
Next to beef cattle, chocolate generates the highest level of greenhouse gas food emissions, driven by deforestation and significant food loss and waste in its supply chains.The chocolate trade is also rife with growers who employ slavery and child labor. So make sure you choose ethical and sustainably-grown cacao by consulting the Food Empowerment Project’s “Chocolate List” for reliable sources. Look for a product that is third-party tested for low quantities of cadmium and lead. Raw organic cacao powder is minimally processed with the highest amount of antioxidants, flavonoids, minerals, and lowest amount of fat, and free of synthetic pesticides.
Miso paste helps lower blood pressure and heart rate. In this recipe. Culinarily, it suppresses cacao’s bitterness and enhances the truffles sweetness.
Freeze-dried fruits carry a hefty carbon footprint, compared to their fresh or even dried forms, due to the amount of energy required to process them.They are priced accordingly. While they’re delicious and very healthy, I therefore reserve these treats for special occasions.

Prep 15 minutes

Makes about 12 ping pong-sized truffles

To rehydrate the dates, cut them in half or thirds, place in a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Alternatively, microwave them for 2 minutes. Allow to cool. Drain.
Place almonds in a food processor and pulse beyond chopping to reduce to a uniform meal.
Drain the dates very well. Add them, cacao powder, vanilla seeds, and miso to the food processor bowl with the hazelnut/almond meal. Pulse several times to create a dough, but do not overblend. Transfer the truffle dough to a container, cover, and cool in the fridge for 30 minutes, if time permits. The cooled dough will be a little less sticky for rolling.
Break off a piece and roll the dough between your palms to form small, compact balls, about the size of a ping pong ball.
Use a small coffee grinder or your food processor to reduce dehydrated berries into colorful, flavorful powders, rich in antioxidants. Next, pulse to finely chop nuts, if using for a garnish.
Place each of your garnishes in shallow bowls or small plates. Roll each truffle in a garnish until it is heavily coated.
Place the coated truffles in a container lined with wax paper. Refrigerate until serving or freeze for a later time.

A special thank you to ceramicist Jo Chess for the lovely serving bowl.