Heaven in Every Bite: Dark Chocolate Truffles

Holiday time comes alive when you get the whole family involved in making these marvelous treats. Little ones especially have fun with rolling the truffles in sugar or unsweetened coconut flakes if you are sugar-averse. It also teaches them the joys of creating a gift for someone as opposed to purchasing one. In our family, whoever helps gets to taste. I always have helpers!

I save glass jars all year long to serve as gift delivery devices.  I have been known to break down and actually purchase an unusual looking one. We use them for water cups, food storage and gift giving. When I need to put together a gift, all I need to do is select one, fill it with scrumptious treats and decorate the lid with a piece of fabric and a pretty ribbon. Sometimes, I'll add a little tag with the ingredients or the recipe. It is always very well received. The challenge is to resist eating these yummy truffles long enough to fill up the jar. If you can't help yourself,  you can at least take comfort in the fact that they are relatively healthy as far as truffles go.

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Dark Chocolate Truffles (makes 13 ) These treats are delicious and not too sweet. It's important to use the highest quality unsweetened cocoa powder so the richness really comes through. If you like things on the sweeter side you can use only 2 tsp of hazelnut liqueur and then add 1 tsp agave nectar. If you are using the hazelnut extract and water mixture, use only 1 tsp of water and then add the agave nectar. 1/2 cup hazelnuts 2 tbsp almond butter 3 plump dates, pitted 2 tbsp of unsweetened coconut flakes 2 tbsp high quality cocoa powder, unsweetened 1 tbsp hazelnut liqueur (or 1 tsp hazelnut extract + 2 tsp water) 1 tsp toasted hazelnut oil (or a mild vegetable oil) crystallized sugar to roll in or sweetened cocoa powder Place all the ingredients (except for the crystallized sugar or sweetened cocoa powder) in a food processor.  Grind into a paste.   Carefully, grab a little bit of the mixture in between your fingers: it should stick together into a malleable dough. Prepare a plate with the sugar. Set aside for the final step. Form the truffles by taking about two teaspoons of the mixture, clumping it together and rolling it into a little ball. Continue until all the mixture has been used. Gently roll each truffle on the plate with the sugar to coat evenly. Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Printable Recipe

Need more chocolate?
Almond Bars with a Dark Chocolate Crust
Figs Stuffed with Chocolate Hazelnut Cream
Chocolate Caramel Baked Pears

Great Gift Ideas

Vegetarian Times Magazine is a great publication with wonderful recipes and enticing pictures. It features vegetarian, vegan and now gluten free recipes. The editors really try to provide a little something for everyone. I'm a flexitarian. My family loves to feast on vegetable dishes, so such a publication is not wasted on us. I am thrilled to hear that gluten-free choices will now appear in all their issues. I thought I would share the good news, seeing how most us are still shopping around for gifts for our loved-ones.





Another one of my favorite publications is Living Without Magazine: the articles are always interesting and their delicious recipes are varied and well explained.








For a great newsletter on nutrition, check out Nutrition Action: The Center for Science in Public Interest publishes this monthly gem. They are an advocacy group for nutrition, health, food safety, and sound science. Each issue is full of reliable, unbiased studies and analyses. Their food reviews are presented with an impeccable sense of humor.





Giving magazines and newsletters as gifts is truly the gift that keeps on giving: the recipient thinks of you every time they receive an issue. Now, as much as I would love for any of those publications to ask me to write for them, I am not affiliated with any of them--just an avid reader. Feel free to share your favorites as well. Happy Holiday Shopping!

Here are some Vegetarian Times gluten free recipes:

Pizza 5 ways
Country Bread