Image source: Handful of Sunshine
These little beauties can be the antidote to the perennial pull of omnipresent piles of glittering chocolate. Rather than adding to the glittery packaging landfill and overly sweet confectionary, making your own chocolates satisfies on so many levels; it’s great fun, you know what you put in and get that satisfaction of healthy ingredients. Yes there’s sugar of course (chocolate is naturally bitter), but choose a high quality honey or syrup source and you can limit the damage. These also make great presents, especially if you present in a lovely box for that truly personal gift-giving touch.
Prep time: 45-60 minutes
(makes 12-15 truffles)
For the truffles
– 1 cup shredded coconut
– 2 tbsp coconut oil
– 1 tbsp agave/honey/maple syrup/other natural syrup
– 1 tsp vanilla
– Pinch sea salt
To decorate
– 75 g dark chocolate
– Desiccated coconut
– Dried cranberries (chopped)
– Raw pistachios (chopped)
Check the consistency of your coconut oil, it should be soft (room temperature or slightly warmer so that it easily combines with the desiccated coconut). Warm the coconut oil slightly if it isn’t soft.
Put all ingredients in a food processor (or mix by hand if you don’t have one). Briefly blitz so the ingredients combine but don’t blitz the mixture for too long or you will lose the texture of the coconut. If required, stir the mixture by hand once blitzed to ensure it’s well mixed. If it seems too wet you can add a bit more desiccated coconut or if it seems too dry to stick together then add a little more oil or sweetener.
Allow to chill slightly for 5-10 minutes in the fridge.
Shape the coconut mixture into balls (about a heaped teaspoon’s worth in size) by rolling in the palm of your hand. Place balls on a tray lined with parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 10-20 minutes to allow them to firm up.
Melt chocolate in Bain Marie (a bowl over a pan of simmering water) and once melted remove the pan from the heat.
Dip the truffles in the melted chocolate to cover, place back on the lined tray and before the chocolate sets decorate the top with a sprinkle of desiccated coconut and/or cranberries and pistachios.
Chill the truffles in the fridge and then remove from fridge to allow to warm for 30 minutes or so before serving.
They should keep for a few weeks.
Charlotte is a high-profile nutritional therapist, practising for over 15 years and winner of the CAM Award for Outstanding Practice 2012. She specialises in stress-related issues and conditions, bringing a mindful approach to not just what we eat, but how – the emotional triggers and personal circumstances that drive us towards food and lifestyle habits. She works from Functional Medicine and Psychoneuroimmunological (PNI) approaches (with testing where appropriate) to consider all aspects of our health intertwined. For more information go to: www.charlottewattshealth.com
