Mocha Truffles | Vegan

20:01:00 Unknown 0 Comments

These deliciously little truffles are really a spin of my original chocolate energy balls. You could still call these energy balls, but the addition of the coffee and the toppings, make these feel and taste so much more decadent. That's not to say you can't enjoy the original chocolate ones as dessert too. As with those, these are a great pick me up snack. My personal favourite is to have 2-3 of these with my afternoon coffee (sometimes I have four, but shhh). Since these already have espresso in them, they obviously pair very well.  I know that giving food as gifts is frowned upon by some, but I think putting a few of these in a cute, little plastic bag with a ribbon tied around it, would be a great Christmas gift for a friend or co-worker. Of course you can also keep these luscious treats for yourself too, but it is the season of giving! Hope you give these a try.
Ingredients Makes roughly 20 golfball sized energy balls 

half a shot of espresso
1 heaped tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 dl (150ml) of oats
250g of dates
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 tbsp of almond butter
a pinch of salt

cocoa powder and/or coconut to roll the truffles in

Steps

1. Begin by pitting your dates. Then soak them in hot water for in 10 minutes to soften. If you have incredibly soft dates you could skip this stage; however, I find regardless of the quality, soaking them in warm water helps when blending. 
2. Drain the dates and then add to a food processor or blender. Something like a Nutribullet works fine too! 
3. Blend the dates until smooth. Depending on your desired texture you can either add all the remaining ingredients into the blender as well. Blitz until smooth. OR you can simply add the rest of the ingredients in whole to the date paste and combine well with your hands in a separate bowl. If the mixture feels too wet, adjust by adding a little bit more oats. 
4. Finally, roll the mixture into golfball seized balls. Then roll half the truffles in cocoa powder and half in the shredded coconut. I would recommend shaking off the excess cocoa powder over the sink by putting the cocoa-rolled truffles in a fine sieve and shaking gently. 
5. Refrigerate or alternatively just leave in an air-tight container. Either way is fine, but obviously refrigerating will give for a firmer texture. 
6. Enjoy!