These sweet treats are a nutritious alternative to the mountains of cheap chocolate offered in supermarkets at this time of year!
Ingredients
50g almonds
50g walnuts
1 or 2 fresh figs, finely chopped
2 fresh strawberries, finely chopped
5 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
100g dark cooking chocolate, for coating
These quantities should produce approximately 15 truffles, depending on how large you make them.
Instructions: fruit and nut centre
Finely chop or blitz the almonds and walnuts together and place in a mixing bowl.
Add the chopped strawberries, fig and mint leaves and combine the ingredients by hand or with a spoon, until the mixture sticks together.
Using a teaspoon for shaping and measuring, form the mixture into small, bite-sized balls.
Place the truffles in a container lined with baking paper, making sure they do not touch each other, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Instructions: chocolate coating
Melt the chocolate.
To melt the chocolate in a microwave: Chop the chocolate into small pieces, place in microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 70% power for a minute. Remove the chocolate and give it a stir, then continue to microwave in 30-second blasts (stirring frequently) until the chocolate has fully melted. Keep a careful eye on your chocolate, as it’s easy to overcook chocolate in a microwave.
To melt the chocolate on the stovetop: Add chopped chocolate to the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. (You can create your own double boiler by placing a metal bowl over a saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pan). Stir gently and frequently until the chocolate has completely melted, using a heat-safe rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as you stir.
Coat the truffles in a layer of chocolate by dipping them in the melted chocolate, using a skewer or a small fork to hold them, and allow any excess to chocolate to drain back into the bowl. (Alternatively, you can spoon the chocolate over the truffles.) Place the chocolate-coated truffles on a tray lined with baking paper and leave them to set. We suggest refrigerating your truffles prior to serving, particularly in warmer climates.
Notes
To reduce your chocolate intake even further, try coating the truffles in cocoa instead. Simply roll your truffles in a bowl of cocoa (approx. 20g should do them all) until they are completely covered just before serving.
The truffles will keep for a few days if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container (if you can wait that long to eat them!).