Being free from the burden of final exams is one of the best feelings ever. Not only am I blogging without the guilt of being a procrastinator of my school work, I had the chance to go get some Christmas shopping done on this glorious day. Not once today did I worry about anything other than “What should I get for so-and-so this Christmas?”. Life is so great right now; it’s utterly bliss.
Being one of the last of my friends to finish my exams, I was extremely unfocussed. I would spend the day trying to convince myself to study, but end up listening to Christmas music, making lists of Christmas plans and recipe ideas instead. After much procrastination, I’d end up in the kitchen making food. These Ferrero Rocher truffles are one of the products of my unavoidable procrastination. And they are insanely good.
When I finally got through the last exam I had for this semester, I was so ecstatic I was actually skipping to the bus stop and singing Christmas songs in my head. Upon returning home, I began making some savoury dishes for a post-exam celebration with some great friends. We had a Mexican-inspired canawa (baby quinoa) dish, lemon-infused aglio e olio pasta, guacamole and tortilla chips, New York Cheesecake, and Bailey’s peppermint hot chocolate because we needed to turnip (get it?). Just kidding, we only put in 3 tablespoons total in a giant pot, and we cooked off the alcohol… we are such #rebels. #cantbetamed #rowdypartyofthree
It was such a great time and we laughed at ourselves the whole night because of our epic pyjama bed-head photoshoot with our socially-unacceptable facial expressions, ranging from mean girls status faces and double chin extravaganzas. But of course, the food (including these truffles) made the night that much more amazing.
Everybody who knows me probably knows that I really loveeee hazelnuts and chocolate. If you dip a date in hazelnut butter, you’d fall in love because it tastes exactly like Nutella and we all know Nutella is pretty much a concept of life. And if this healthy life hack isn’t good enough, these truffles will make you fall even deeper in love.
Give them a try, and I promise that you will never purchase an overpriced box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates again. These are so healthy for you and I assure you they will be a hit at any party! Or you can even make a couple batches and put them in little boxes from a local craft store to give to your loved ones as gifts! Homemade gifts are always more special to the heart! Have I convinced you yet?
- FILLING
- 1 cup toasted hazelnuts
- ½ cup dates (about 8 Medjools), pitted
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- TRUFFLE
- 1 cup dates, pitted
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1½ tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- COATING
- ¾ cup toasted hazelnuts
- For the coating: In your food processor, add in hazelnuts and pulse to your preference or to the size of the pictures shown. Set the grinded nuts to a small bowl and set the bowl aside for coating later.
- For the filling: In your food processor, add in hazelnuts. Pulse a few times until the nuts resemble a coarse meal. Add in dates, water, almond butter, and salt. Pulse ingredients together until it forms the consistency of mouldable cookie dough. With your hands, mould into 24-26 balls.
- For the truffle exterior: In your food processor, add in dates, semisweet chocolate, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and salt. Pulse until the mixture becomes a mouldable mass, similar to the consistency of the filling. Roll the truffles into 24-26 balls, flatten, and wrap each truffle around the filling to create ferrero rocher!
- Coat each truffle with the prepared grounded hazelnuts.
- Enjoy immediately, or keep in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.
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