I made these as gifts for our clients, neighbours, friends and family at Christmas and they were a HIT!
I was inspired by this Fix and Fogg recipe, whose nut butters I’m a huge recent fan of, but I had some Biscoff spread I wanted to use up, to make these slightly more indulgent for Christmas. I had planned to make the entire recipe with Biscoff but ended up not having enough, so made up the difference with peanut and almond butters (I’ve written the recipe as 50/50 but my batch was more like 60/40). As long as you have 2 cups in total of spreads (you can use all the same one if you prefer), that should be fine! They still managed to taste pretty healthy though (to my mind!). This is also the perfect opportunity to use up any special Christmas pudding/cake spice mixes you might have lying around. Anything cinnamon-based will be delicious here.
Everyone loved these truffles and I will be making them again for a healthy(ish) treat to have around the house for the rest of the summer going into autumn. I highly recommend keeping them in the freezer if it’s warm where you are, as they do grow soft quite quickly!
Vegan gingerbread truffles
Makes between 45-50 truffles, depending on size! I got 48.
1 cup medjool or dried dates + boiling water to cover
2 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or pistachios, (optional, they just look lovely!)
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon or a Christmas/pumpkin pie spice blend you might have (I had some Gewurzhaus St Nicholas Spekulaas which was really delicious here!)
3 teaspoons ground ginger (you could up it to 4 teaspoons if you want a strong ginger flavour)
1 cup Biscoff spread
1 cup other nut butter (I used a mixture of almond and peanut)
2 tablespoons molasses or black treacle (molasses is a great iron source!)
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Coating:
200g dark chocolate
5 tablespoons coconut oil
A sprinkling of demerara sugar (optional)
Soak the dates in boiling water for five to ten minutes until softened.
Place the oats, pumpkin seeds/pistachios (if using), salt and spices in a food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds until combined.
Drain the dates and add them to the food processor together with the spreads, molasses, water and vanilla. Process again until well combined, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. It should be sticky and holding together well. If it’s too dry add a bit more water. If it’s too wet, you can add some ground almonds.
Roll the mixture into small balls and place on a large baking tray. Place them in the freezer for an hour to firm up.
Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil together gently either in the microwave or on the stove using a heatproof bowl. Make sure it’s combined and then take it off the heat. Allow to cool only very slightly, as you need the mixture to be liquid for dipping the truffles.
Retrieve your truffle tray from the freezer. Get another empty baking tray and line it with baking paper. Using either a teaspoon or a strong toothpick/bamboo skewer, dip each truffle into the melted chocolate mixture, coating all over, then place back on the tray. Repeat until all the truffles have been dipped. The first truffles may get a more generous coating than the others, that’s just the way of things! Save those as a cook’s treat.
If liked, sprinkle the truffles with demerara sugar before the chocolate has set. Return to the freezer or fridge to set completely, at least overnight but ideally for a few days before you need them.
Enjoy straight from the fridge or freezer, all year round! Perfect to serve with coffee, in the morning or after dinner.