Discover Wellness Event
Yesterday, Treasure hosted a nutrition talk at Wellness Revolution for their "Discover Wellness Event." The event was a great success with a highly nutritious sit down dinner and a private nutrition talk covering topics and tips such as: Nutrient Rich Foods, Cooking & How To Tips, Portion Control, Healthy Digestion and Sleep. To support the information given on antioxidant rich foods, which dark chocolate falls into, Treasure brought Superfood Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles. (A recipe from our beautiful mentor, Elizabeth Rider.) The truffles are a MUST TRY! We can't decide which we love about this recipe more: the divine creamy chocolate texture or just how easy they are to make. See below for the recipe.
The food provided by the staff of Wellness Revolution (and 1 recipe from My Core Wellness) was absolutely delicious! We would love to share our recipe with you - Superfood Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles!
I’M IN LOVE!
Our beautiful mentor, Elizabeth Rider, created these truffles as an alternative to the typical truffles you find made out of heavy cream and loads of sugar. And you know what? I think they’re even BETTER!
The texture of these truffles is divine, and they’re loaded with antioxidants and nutrients with the superfood combo of coconut oil and dark chocolate.
Coconut oil has amazing health benefits and dark chocolate is extremely high in antioxidant power and very low in sugar, making it the perfect special treat that’s also perfectly good for you.
I’m not sure which is the best part about this recipe – the amazing flavor & texture or the fact that they are so easy to make.
This recipe makes 8 truffles, but can easily be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled. Elizabeth wrote this recipe with a lot of detail to help you along with the process, but don’t be overwhelmed with the length–they’re quite easy and quick to make.
SUPERFOOD VEGAN DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE RECIPE
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours (includes time to set)
Yields 8 truffles
Ingredients:
· 1 organic vegan dark chocolate bar, at least 70% cocoa (3.2-3.5 ounces)
· 3 1/2 tablespoons organic, virgin coconut oil
· 1 tablespoon raw organic honey (at one time I used agave, but switched to honey)
· 1 1/2 teaspoons organic prepared coffee
· 1/2 teaspoon organic pure vanilla extract (preferable Madagascar vanilla)
· 1 small pinch fine sea salt, such as Real Salt
· Organic unsweetened dark cocoa power for sifting, about 1/4 cup
· Chia seeds (optional, for coating truffles)
Tip: Use the best quality organic ingredients you can afford. The best quality chocolate will produce the yummiest truffles.
Recipe: Prepare a cup of coffee and reserve 1 1/2 tsp of the coffee (or save 1 1/2 tsp from your morning coffee.) Create a double-broiler with a small pot and glass bowl.* While you’re waiting for the water to boil, cut the chocolate into very small pieces using a sharp knife to help it melt easily. Once the water in the double-boiler is boiling, add the chocolate and stir often with a wooden spoon until it’s melted; this should take about 3 minutes. A double-boiler is recommended instead of a microwave to prevent overcooking the chocolate. (This process is called tempering and prevents the chocolate from seizing; the chocolate should remain shiny the entire time. If it starts to look dull or matte it’s overcooked.)
Once the chocolate is almost all melted, add coconut oil and keep stirring until the mixture is well combine and smooth. Once smooth, remove the glass bowl to the counter and add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Stir well, another 2 minutes, until all ingredients are well combine and smooth. At this point, the mixture should be cool enough to taste – but be very careful not to burn yourself. Taste the mixture to check your flavorings.
Put the bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour (more if needed) until the chocolate is set. It will be firm but easily scoop-able – a.k.a. the texture of a truffle. If it becomes too firm, just set it out at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop teaspoon size balls from the mixture and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. A melon baller works perfect for this, or use a teaspoon and your fingers to shape the balls for a more rustic look. Coconut oil melts on contact with your fingers so using your hands and fingers might get a little messy – just be sure to work quickly so the truffles don’t melt too much.
Once all truffles are on the sheet, dust them all with the unsweetened cocoa powder using a sieve. (If coating with chia seeds, roll them in chia seeds before sifting.) Place the truffles back in the refrigerator at least 2 more hours to set and keep in the refrigerator until served. They will start to melt after about an hour at room temperature so it’s important to keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. They’ll keep in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
*Create a double-boiler by placing a tightly-fitting tempered glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. The water should not touch the bowl; the steam from the water will heat the bowl and melt the chocolate. It’s important to use tempered glass so it doesn’t shatter.
Happy Cooking!
You can read more about my mentor, Elizabeth Rider, and find more of her delicious recipes here: http://www.elizabethrider.com/category/recipes/