Dates Chocolate Truffle

Chocolate is a universal word that gets people excited. It is one of the most widely adapted flavors in the world through all age groups. But chocolate in its natural form is less accepted given that it is bitter. The chocolates as we know them come with less cocoa (which is the best and most nutritious part) and more other ingredients like refined sugar, milk solids, and additional fats.

This blog is not about chocolate and cocoa though. It is about that one ingredient which is a natural sugar and will complement the bitterness of cocoa.

How about we take you on a "Date"?

Dates are fruits from the Date palm tree and are one of the fruits that have been existent from ancient times. Over the years, dates have become available all around the world and people added this fruit to their daily diets as a source of minerals and vitamins. The sweetness of this fruit is something that made it a go-to ingredient in many sweet dishes.

When you pick dates, you get two options - fresh or dried. The sugar content of dried dates is more than its fresh counterparts. Let me break it down for you. The difference between fresh and dry is the water content. In dried fruits, the water content will be fully evaporated thus reducing the total mass of the fruit and making the nutrients and sugars concentrated in one fruit. With the water gone, and reduced size, the number of dried dates you consume will increase whereas you eat two fresh dates you'll feel full.

As dates contain natural sugars called fructose which is anytime a better option when compared to the table sugar or white sugar. Using date syrups (without any additional sugars) or paste of dates is a great alternative in dessert dishes.

This Dates Chocolate Truffle recipe is for all the chocolate lovers out there with the added goodness of dates for the sweet tooth.

Servings: 5 truffles

Time to Prep: 15 minutes

Time to Cook: No cook recipe

Ingredients

7-8 nos Fresh Dates

1/2 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tbsp Water

2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 pinch Cinnamon Powder

2 tbsp Almond Powder

1 pinch Sea Salt

Let's get Cooking!

• Line a small plate or dish with parchment paper or butter paper and set aside.

• Add pitted dates, coconut oil, and water to a food processor or blender. Mix until sticky texture is achieved.

• Add cacao powder, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and cinnamon powder. Blend again to combine.

• Add almond powder little by little until the mixture forms a ball in the food processor.

• Apply coconut oil on your palms and using a tablespoon, scoop the content and roll into balls.

• Empty a small amount of cacao powder into a shallow dish or bowl and roll the truffles around to coat. This helps prevent them from sticking and also adds a more intense chocolate flavor.

• For better texture, keep the truffle refrigerated for 30 minutes and serve!

Notes:

• Adjust the sea salt as per taste or completely skip

• Make sure to use unsweetened cocoa to avoid extra sweetness.