Chocolate is a staple in my diet. Every morning I start the day off right with a helping of dark chocolate to accompany my coffee. Truffles aren’t generally my thing, I prefer a plain piece of the good stuff (70-90% cocoa). However, these truffles are different. There’s no butter and no refined sugar. I first made these out in California and they came out a bit dry. A few minor tweaks and these truffles were just as decadent as the regular ones! These truffles don’t require melted chocolate, only cocoa powder which is a nutrition powerhouse with only 11g of fat per cup along with 26g fiber, 16g protein and an extraordinary amount of antioxidants. These truffles are an essential part of any diet and a completely guiltless dessert. These are a great gift and perfect for a potluck!
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4-6 Tbsp honey, to taste
3 Tbsp bourbon, rum, triple sec, peppermint schnapps, etc…
water, as needed
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Coatings:
cinnamon
raw sugar
finely chopped walnuts
powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Combine peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, honey and bourbon in a bowl and mix with a wooden spatula (you can also use a food processor). Blend until well combined.
2. Taste the mixture to see how dry it is. If it sucks the moisture out of your mouth add water or more bourbon 1 Tbsp at a time and blend. Repeat until a creamy but dry consistency is achieved – but don’t add too much liquid! If you squeeze the mixture and liquid squeezes out, you’ve added too much liquid (add more cocoa powder to adjust).
3. Place the cinnamon, sugar, walnuts or other coating in a small bowl. Remove mixture from food processor and work the ball with your hands to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Form into ~3/4″ diameter balls using the heat of your hands to keep the mixture soft and workable. Drop the balls, two at a time, into the bowl and shake it around until all sides are coated. Repeat until all of the mixture is used.
4. Makes about 40-50 truffles. Keep them in a sealed container at room temperature, in the refrigerator or freezer.
Additional Info:
I like using less honey in the truffles but using a honey bourbon. Cinnamon is a great coating for these, and you may want to roll them in cinnamon twice, since it makes them less messy to handle and eat. I suggest separating the batch and making several different flavors. If you experiment with other add-ins or coatings, please post your results!