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Goji-Dusted Raspberry Chocolate Truffles

So, apparently there’s a holiday next weekend. And apparently food bloggers are expected to make some kind of chocolatey dessert recipe to celebrate said holiday. Honestly though, the idea of Valentine’s Day always confused me. I mean, how did we decide on romance and candlelit dinners as a way to celebrate the bloody martyrdom of St. Valentinus during the Roman Empire?

I’m not complaining though; any holiday that includes raspberry-infused melt-in-your-mouth chocolates rolled in goji berry powder is good enough for me! It’s the best of both worlds, too – either you have a Valentine and you can make these delicious truffles for them, or you don’t have a date and get to keep them all yourself. Either way, you win.

These truffles, however, have a secret. Their perfect melty consistency is due to the brilliantly bizarre combo of chocolate and… avocado! It works so well and you never taste the avocado. Add just a few fresh raspberries to the mix and these chocolates are in a whole new world of decadence. And lest the idea of making homemade truffles scare you, these are SUPER easy to make and virtually foolproof. Just don’t tell your sweetheart that you whipped up their delicious Valentine’s Day treat in less than 15 minutes. 😉

Goji Truffles

Makes about 15 truffles

Ingredients:

  • 5 oz dark chocolate
  • 1/2 cup avocado
  • 1/4 cup raspberries
  • 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup goji berries
  • 1 tablespoons sucanat/sugar
  • 2 tablespoons oat/rice flour

Goji Truffles Square

Step One

Using a double boiler or simply a saucepan over low heat, melt about 5-6 oz of dark chocolate. I would highly recommend using something around 73% cocoa (the package should tell you). I used a bar that was higher in cocoa and it made the truffles a little more bitter, requiring extra maple syrup to get the right level of sweetness. Allow the chocolate to slowly melt, stirring regularly.

Step Two

Meanwhile, spoon about 1/2 cup avocado into a food processor with 1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries. Process until they are completely blended into a gorgeous pink puree. Then, drizzle in the melted chocolate along with a pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla. Give this a taste and add just a little maple syrup if it needs more sweetness.

The texture will still be too runny until the chocolate hardens, so pop this whole mixture in the freezer for several minutes while making the goji dust…

Step Three

You could simply roll these truffles in cocoa powder, but where’s the fun in that? When you blend dried goji berries, they create a beautiful orangey powder that compliments these flavors perfectly. The problem is, if you just add goji berries to your blender, you’ll end up with large sticky clumps. To instead create a dry powder, blend the berries along with a little oat or rice flour and granulated sugar (Sucanat) on high until you have perfect “goji dust.”

Step Four

Roll the chilled chocolate into round truffles. You’ll know the mixture is firm enough when you can take a spoonful in your hands and roll it into a ball without it losing shape. If the chocolate is still completely gooey and unworkable, allow it to chill a little longer. Then, roll each truffle into a round ball between your hands and toss in a bowl of the goji dust to coat. Add each to a tray covered in parchment and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Goji Truffles

14 Comments

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    • I think either of those would be fine here, Nati. You could technically do without it entirely but it does improve the texture of the goji powder and adds a little sweetness (obviously). 🙂

  1. I’m a bit on a budget but I’m loving the goji berry aspect. Is there another good substitute for the goji berry 🙂

    • Yes, gojis are definitely expensive. Simply dusting in cocoa powder definitely works well. Another thing that I’m curious about is freeze-dried fruit, since they’re already so flakey… I wonder what would happen if you blended freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries… 🙂

  2. These are neat :0). I also like your replies to the comments here – freeze dried fruit & date or coconut sugar sound like neat alternatives!

  3. This is officially my new favourite blog! I don’t know what I like the most, all those magnificent pictures or the delicious recipes.. Love it all

  4. Hi Andrew,

    I came across your site and really appreciate your recipes, photos, and blog.
    Perhaps you know, but the head of cardiology at Rush Hospital, Chicago, advocates a plant based diet. With science to back up the results of his own, and patient studies, I decided to give it a try. I am super glad I did. While not a complete vegan, I have drastically reduced meat/poultry/dairy intake – and feel great! It really does work.

    I am so looking forward to trying these delicious looking treats! The weather is turning colder here in IL, and soon it will be Christmas and New Years. I would like to double or triple the recipe for guests. Would you advise using the same proportions, just doubled or tripled? Have you or anyone else made a double batch?

    Thanks!

    • Hi Nancy, congrats on making that shift – I’m so happy for you! It DOES work 🙂

      In terms of this recipe, I haven’t tried, but I don’t think this recipe will have any trouble scaling up with the same proportions.

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