I thought I would share one of my Christmas Truffle recipes with you so you can make them for Valentines Day! I dehydrate the strawberries to make the strawberry coating however you can also dry them on the lowest setting in your oven. You can order Strawberry Medicine Flower extract from www.criobru.ca. These extracts are all natural and deliver incredible flavour! These truffles keep well refrigerated or frozen for several months so feel free to make them in advance!
Ingredients:
Makes about 35 one inch truffles
- 11/4 cups of raw cacao powder
- 1 cup of maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- a dropper full of Medicine Flower Strawberry Extract
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup of melted cacao butter ( melt in a double boiler and measure after you have melted the cacao butter, not before!)
- 1/2 cup of melted coconut oil (melted in a double boiler)
- 1 cup of dehydrated strawberries
- 1/4 cup of powdered xylitol
- 1/4 tsp. or more to taste of ground chipotle powder
In a high speed blender combine the cacao power, maple syrup, vanilla extract, salt and strawberry extract until smooth. With the blender running, add the melted cacao butter and coconut oil. Using the tamper if you have a vita mix or periodically stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula, continue to blend until smooth and all of the oil is incorporated into the truffle mixture. Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and set in the fridge to set up. I like to leave it for at least 4-6 hours. Make the coating while the truffle mixture sets. Have the strawberries dehydrated in advance.
The coating:
- 1 cup of dehydrated organic sliced strawberries. (About 2 cups fresh or frozen sliced berries)
- 1/4 cup of powdered xylitol (a non caloric sweetener derived from birch trees. This sweetener is highly toxic to dogs.) To powder, blend to an icing sugar consistency. You could also use icing sugar.
- 1/4 cup of ground chipotle pepper (more to taste)
Dehydrate a few cups of sliced frozen or fresh organic strawberries tossed in 3 or 4 tbsp. of maple syrup on the mesh tray of your dehydrator for at least 12 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator, place on a parchment lined baking sheet on the lowest setting of your oven until crisp. The dried strawberries should be very dry and not in the least bit pliable.
Combine the dehydrated strawberries with the xylitol and chipotle powder in a high speed blender to powder. Place into a shallow bowl while you roll your truffles.
The truffle mixture may be fairly firm as you remove it from the fridge. I like to scoop the balls onto a sheet of parchment first with a small scoop or a 1 tsp. measuring spoon and then as they soften at room temperature for a few minutes they are much easier to roll into more uniform balls. Make sure your hands are clean and dry. You will need to wash your hands periodically to remove the build up of chocolate!
Once you have the mixture roughly scooped out, you can re-roll them into more of a perfect sphere. As you roll each one roll it around in the strawberry chipotle powder to coat well. It will warm on the surface from your hands and the powder will adhere to it. Roll roughly into one inch balls. Place them in a single layer in the fridge or freezer to firm up before storing in sealed containers or bags. I always store my truffles in the fridge however; they do hold up well at room temperature. Just not for an extended period of time.
