This Sunday afternoon, I am off to a Raw Food Potluck, so I had to think of what to bring along. It took me a whole 20 seconds to decide on Chocolates. It took me another whole 20 seconds to decide on the most decadent, mouth watering, melt in your hands, sweet, creamy, mood-elevating, but nutritious Raw Chocolate Truffles. And here is the result:





RAW CHOCOLATE CENTRE TOFFEE TRUFFLES
makes 10 (or 20 when cut into halves)

Chocolate Centre:
3 x Tbsp Virgin Coconut Butter
3 x Tbsp Cacao Powder
1 x Tbsp Agave Nectar

Toffee Exterior:
6 x Tbsp (1/2 cup) Coconut Butter
1 x Tbsp Carob Powder
5 x Tbsp Mesquite Meal
2 x Tbsp Date Syrup
Some cacao powder for rolling in

1. Use a double boiler to melt the coconut butter (or oil as you may know it, but as long as it is solid at room temperature, looks white and smells like coconuts, it is the same thing), make sure water underneath is not boiling, as we don't want to 'cook' anything. Keep stirring until it becomes soft and creamy.

2. Add cacao and agave, stir to a smooth consistency and put in fridge for a minimum of 10 mins to harden.

3. Scoop out a little at a time and roll around in your hands to form into 10 small balls. Even if the mixture has been left in the fridge for too long to harden, you will see how quickly it melts in your hands and shapes easily. Put back into fridge.

4. I am a big sucker for anything caramel or toffee and in my quest to find anything remotely similar in a Raw Food kitchen, I was amazed to discover Mesquite Meal. I am a big BIG fan! If only it wasn't so pricey, I'd be Mesquiting every breakfast, lunch and Dinner. Actually just a tablespoon of this stuff a day provides you with more nutrients, than most people get during an entire day on a cooked food diet.

A quick word on Mesquite Meal: it is a ground up pod, seeds of which are 40% protein. It has Calcium, Manganese, Iron and Zinc and is completely safe for diabetics. Grinding whole pods produces fructose, which can be processed without insulin and has soluble fibres, which can be slowly absorbed without a rapid rise in blood sugar.

Repeat the same process to make the Toffee Exterior and place in fridge for 10 mins.


5. Divide into 10 equal parts and mould into small pancakes. Fold the chocolate balls into the middle (like pictured above) and roll around in your hands until you have a perfect round truffle. Don't worry if it starts to melt and gets really oily, this will actually help in making the truffle nice and smooth.

6. Refrigerate for 5 mins before rolling in cacao powder.



RAW WHITE CHOCOLATE and GOJI CENTRE TRUFFLES
makes 10 (or 20 when cut into halves)

Goji Berry Centre:
4 x Tbsp Goji Berries

White Chocolate Exterior:
6 x Tbsp (1/2 cup) Coconut Butter
2 x Tbsp Ground Cashews (or purchased cashew butter)
2 x Tbsp Mesquite Meal
2 x Tbsp Lukuma Powder
1 x Tbsp Agave Nectar
Some almond flakes for rolling in

1. Grind up the goji berries in a nut or coffee grinder. They are quite powdery when just done, so let them sit in the grinder afterwards for at least half an hour to settle and become sticky. Then you can easily mould these into small balls with your fingers.

2. Repeat the process for the rest of the recipe from my description of making the Toffee Truffles above. Roll into almond flakes before putting back into the fridge.

A quick word on Lukuma Powder: this is amazing for white chocolate recipes, because it is a fruit that is light in colour and sweet when dehydrated and ground up. It is rich in beta-carotene, niacin and iron. In Peru- Lukuma flavoured icecream is even more popular than chocolate flavoured.



I have spent a rediculously large amount of time experimenting with these recipes and this White Chocolate one has got to be one of the best things I've ever tasted. And that is a big call for a chocoholic.

Enjoy and remember a very important rule: always use your bare hands and make alot of mess!