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Celebrating Chocolate With Coconut Truffle Squares, Oreo Cookie Truffle Hearts And Spiced Fruit-Nut-Mincemeat Truffles

One thing that a whole lot of people look forward to in February has to be Valentine’s Day. Love is definitely an emotion that needs to be celebrated and if there has to be a special day for that every year, so be it. Unfortunately, Valentine’s Day no longer seems to be about celebrating love but mo

Ingredients
  

For Coconut Truffle Squares :

  • 150 ml cream (25%)
  • 50 gm butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar granulated
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom powdered (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups coconut desiccated

For covering the truffles :

  • 1 cup chocolate About chopped semi sweet

For Oreo Cookie Truffle Hearts :

  • 3/4 cup paneer fresh crumbled (or 1/2 cup cream cheese)
  • 3 cups Oreo cookies crushed
  • Cocoa truffles powder for shaping

For covering the truffles :

  • 2 cups chocolate chopped semi sweet (or milk)
  • 2 tbsps butter

For Spiced Fruit & Nut Mince Truffles :

  • 100 ml cream (25% fat)
  • 1 1/4 cups chocolate chopped semi sweet
  • 5 tbsps nut fruit and mince (recipe follows)
  • Cocoa truffles powder for shaping

For covering the truffles :

  • 1 cup milk chocolate chopped , melted
  • 1 1/2 tbsps butter

Carrot Almond Mincemeat :

  • 3 cups carrots grated red winter , well packeds
  • 3/4 cup orange juice unsweetened
  • 1 cup almonds finely chopped
  • 1 cup prunes chopped
  • 1 cup dried fruit golden raisins figs papaya chopped ( , , ,
  • 1/4 cup ginger finely chopped candied
  • 1 cup sugar Demerara (or brown)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest / rind
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powdered
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg grated
  • 1 1/2 tsps masala chai
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 1/2 tbsps butter melted
  • 1/4 cup apple juice unsweetened

Instructions
 

  • Coconut Truffle Squares - You can substitute 1 cup of fresh grated coconut if you like, as they will make for a more moist and juicy centre, but will have a shorter shelf life. Since this recipe makes a small quantity, these squares will most likely be eaten before they get a chance to spoil!
  • Place the cream, butter and sugar in a saucepan and slowly bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When it starts to boil (bubble up), take the pan off the heat. Add the coconut, salt and cardamom and mix well. If the mixture seems too wet add a little more desiccated coconut, but not too much. Remember that once it cools down the coconut mixture will thicken.
  • Press into 8u201d by 8u201d tin lined with parchment paper and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the tin and turn the set coconut mixture onto a board and peel off the parchment paper. Cut with a sharp knife into 30 squares. Refrigerate till ready to coat with chocolate.
  • Melt the chocolate over warm water (or in the microwave), add the oil and mix till smooth. Drop each square in the chocolate, coat it completely using two forks. Remove excess chocolate and place each square on a sheet of parchment paper to set. Drizzle more chocolate or decorate as desired. This recipe makes 30 square truffles.
  • Oreo Cookie Truffle Hearts - You can use Britanniau2019s Pure Magic biscuits with vanilla cream instead of Oreos. Run the crumbled paneer in the blender till smooth and creamy.
  • Put the crushed biscuits/ cookies and the blended panner (or cream cheese) in a bowl and mix together using your fingers into a dough-like mixture. If it feels too soft to shape, refrigerate for about an hour.
  • Dust your palms with a bit of cocoa powder and take about 1/3 rd the mixture. Roll it into a smooth ball and flatten into a disc using your hands. Using a rolling pin, lightly flatten it some more to a uniform thickness of about 1/2". Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out little hearts. Repeat with remaining mixture. If it gets soft, refrigerate for about an hour and then cut out more hearts. Refrigerate till ready to cover with chocolate. If you prefer you can just roll the mixture into 1 1/2" balls.
  • Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl, over warm water. Using two forks, drop each heart (or ball) into the melted chocolate and coat well. Working quickly, remove the excess chocolate and place on a sheet of parchment paper to set. Decorate as desired. This recipe makes about 40 small truffle hearts.
  • Spiced Fruit & Nut Mince Truffles - Heat the cream in a saucepan, over low heat, stirring frequently till it is quite hot but not boiling. Take the pan off the heat and add the chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted completely and is smooth. Add the fruit and nut mincemeat and mix well.
  • Refrigerate the mixture overnight, or for 4 hours at least. Overnight refrigeration brings out the flavour better. Dust your palms lightly with cocoa powder and shape the mixture into 1 1/2u201d balls. Refrigerate till ready to coat with chocolate.
  • Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl, over warm water. Using two forks, drop each ball into the melted chocolate and coat well. Working quickly, remove the excess chocolate and place on a sheet of parchment paper to set. Decorate as desired. This recipe makes about 35 truffles.
  • To make the Carrot Almond Mincemeat, Cook the grated carrots and the orange juice together in the Microwave (or steam cook it), until the carrot is cooked and soft.
  • Mix the cooked carrots, the almonds, prunes and other dried fruits, candied ginger, the sugar, the zest, all the spices, salt butter and apple juice in a large bowl. Mix together and leave at room temperature for about 2 hours.
  • Then refrigerate in an airtight glass jars until required. Though this mincemeat does not contain alcohol, no one would believe it after tasting it! This keeps in the fridge for about a month (thatu2019s the longest I've kept it. You can probably freeze it for longer shelf life).