rose, lemon, and coconut raw chocolate truffles

Valentines Day is pretty much the schmultziest of all holidays, redeemable only by the fact that it is completely acceptable and even expected for me to make things like this “for Jarrod”.

Media is awash with debauched chocolatey recipes at this time of year, and this one is no different. It is rich, decadent, and not-so-subtly peppered with ingredients that have known aphrodisiac qualities. The one big difference with this recipe though is that there is no added sugar, honey, stevia, agave, or syrup of any kind. None. Zip. Nada. To say that this raw recipe is sugar-free would be quite cheeky of me though as fruit obviously does contain quite a lot of natural sugar, and that is what lends these raw cacao truffles their sumptuous sweetness. The recipe is also completely raw, and full of superfoods. So eat, share (ha), and be merry.

As we all know, I am not vegan, but just for fun, this dessert is. The end result is a rich, smooth chocolate delicately flavoured with lemon, rose, vanilla, and banana. The consistency is best likened to a traditional truffle, with a little bit of extra chewiness and texture from the dates, rose petals, and coconut.

Let’s get down to it.

Rose, lemon, and coconut raw chocolate truffles

(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

1 x ripe banana

5 x big, juicy medjool dates (try to get dates dried without sulphur)

¼ cup raw cacao powder

¼ cup cold-pressed coconut oil

¼ cup desiccated coconut

½ a vanilla bean, scraped

1 Tbs rose petals

1 Tbs freshly grated lemon zest

1 x tiny pinch Himalayan salt (do not omit)

A handful each extra (about 2 Tbs) of raw cocoa powder, desiccated coconut, and finely chopped rose petals to decorate the chocolates.

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients save the last one (reserved for decorating) in a food processor or vitamix until completely combined and fairly smooth (it will not be completely smooth due to the dates, rose petals, and desiccated coconut – tell your lover that this is part of its homemade charm).
2. Scrape mixture into a bowl and place in the refrigerator to semi-set for about one hour. Do not leave for too much longer than this as the coconut oil will harden and make it too difficult to work with.
3. Once the mixture is semi-set, roll into medium-sized balls with your hands. Messy work, but will make about a dozen of these delectable truffles, so it’s worth it.
4. Place the raw chocolate truffles on a plate in the fridge for another 30 minutes to an hour to further set.
5. Lay out your ingredients for decoration on three small plates and roll each of your chocolate truffles in just one of the toppings until finely coated. I chose cacao powder, desiccated coconut, and rose, but you could certainly use sesame seeds, finely chopped lavender, citrus zest, chopped nuts, or any number of other toppings that you prefer.

Now either serve them to your love after a delicious dinner, or eat them all yourself with a cask of shitty wine. Both are in the spirit of Valentines Day.