There is nothing more satisfying than the delicious flavor combination of chocolate and orange (it's no surprise that Terry's Chocolate Oranges are my absolute fav) - the creaminess of the chocolate marries so well with the freshness of the orange. To celebrate this, I played around with a healthy 'chocolate truffle' recipe that's packed with protein, contains no refined sugar and totally guilt-free you guys!
This recipe makes approx. 25 balls.
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups pitted dates, soaked in water to soften
1 cup almond meal
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup raw almonds/ cashews
1 orange, juiced, zest
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Blend almonds/cashews in a food processor until blended into a thick paste.
2. Add dates and blend. Add a little water if necessary.
3. Pour mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1 cup coconut flakes, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, orange zest and orange juice. Mix well until totally combined.
4. With clean dry hands, scoop out a spoonful of mixture and gently roll with your palms.
5. Place the rolled balls on a sheet pan or shallow dish, and keep in the fridge for 30 mins for the mixture to set and slightly harden.
6. After 30 mins, roll the balls in almond meal, making sure to coat it completely and working quickly to tap out the excess almond meal from the exterior of the balls.
ALY'S COOKING TIPS
1. You have a choice of using either almonds or cashews as your base, the taste does not differ much no matter which you decide to use. I went with cashews as they are more affordable!
2. For an even stickier mouth feel, you can add a little more dates - it makes these balls incredibly creamy, chewy and lends a slight sweetness to the dish!
3. To form balls, I use a mini ice scream scoop that I use for portioning out cookies as well. These things are super handy and make for a consistent portion.
4. These balls can be kept in the fridge for 1 - 2 weeks and in my opinion, gets yummier the longer it's been left in the fridge.