This past week, I hosted my monthly pop-up dinner locally at the Jackrabbit Club. It’s always such a fulfilling night getting to meet people in person, push myself creatively, and feed everyone delicious (and healthy) food. It’s become my absolute favorite thing to do and I truly cannot wait to have a space of my own soon.
These dinners help to stretch my “recipe rolodex” and make me think outside the box when it comes to food + menu creation. It’s easy to get in the same rut of making the same kinds of meals, but since I want to change it up every month– this event forces me to keep things interesting! This time around, I leaned more toward Indian/Middle Eastern flavors, which I could truly never tire of (think curries, coconut yogurt, or throwing dates into a salad). As I was planning the menu out, dessert was proving to be a little tricky. You normally want longer-style meals to feel somewhat unified, or at least have a natural flow/progression.
And maybe it’s because I grew up + live in the U.S, but all the dessert flavors I’d normally land on didn’t seem to fit with the rest of the menu. Curry coconut soup followed by a raspberry lemon vegan cheesecake just felt (and might taste) strange. SO I started with tahini, added in some complimentary flavors from there, and ended up with these delicious truffles.
I’m so happy with how they came out! They’re such a refreshing take on dessert, without being too “out there”. The warm spices, dark chocolate, and hint of orange just marry perfectly with the outside crunchy topping. All of this to say: you’ll want to make these guys ASAP! Oh, and they’re gluten free, vegan, grain free, and naturally sweetened– because that’s how I like to roll with dessert (or snack or breakfast or anytime) items.
INGREDIENTS:
(makes 16-20)
2 cups pitted dates
1.5 cups almond meal/flour
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup cacao powder
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cardamom
FOR TOPPING:
melted dark chocolate bar + 1 tsp coconut oil
pistachios, sesame seeds, coconut flakes*
*I like to toss all three items into a blender and pulse to chop up into a fine crumble, but feel free to chop with a knife
RECIPE:
Soak dates in warm water for 5 minutes to soften. Pulse in the food processor until broken down into small pieces.
Add in the rest of ingredients and mix until combined very well. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides to help it along.
Tip: Add in 1-2 tsp of water + pulse again to help it form a sticky dough if you need to. I almost always add a little water to these recipes.
Form into truffles by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place over parchment paper.
Make the chocolate glaze by mixing a dark chocolate bar with coconut oil. I also like to add in some sea salt + vanilla sometimes. Either microwave or use a glass bowl over a double boiler on the stove (to prevent burning).
Drizzle over the truffles and sprinkle the nut/coconut/sesame seed mixture on top. I also add flaky sea salt here as well. Place truffles in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, until chocolate hardens. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.