Is it even the holidays if you don't spend extra time baking in the kitchen?
Some of my favorite childhood memories surrounding the holidays involve spending time in the kitchen. Whether its making a dessert, helping to prep a big meal or just sitting around the island having a chat, there is just something that feels really nice about spending time with loved ones making something intricate together in the kitchen.
(A nice glass of wine doesn't hurt here either).
These cranberry hazelnut truffles are an amazing blend of flavors and a great way to use up leftover cranberries if you have some hanging around from Thanksgiving (guilty). They also happen to be really fun to make, the perfect balance of effort and ease. So grab a friend, your kids, (maybe even your weird aunt that drives you crazy), crank up the tunes and get busy spreading holiday cheer with this recipe.
Cranberry Hazelnut Truffles
Inner Truffle:
1 Cup Raw Hazelnuts (you could use roasted here too)
1 Cup Raw Cranberries
8 - 10 Mejool Dates (pitted)
1 Tbsp Brown Rice Syrup (you could use maple or honey here too)
3/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
In a high speed blender, blend all ingredients until a thick paste texture is achieved.
Next, in a parchment lined dish, press the mixture down firmly so that it is roughly 1" thick.
Cover and freeze the mixture for about 3-4 hours. Then remove from the freezer and cut into small cubes (as evenly as possible). You'll likely want these about 1/2 inch in diameter.
Outer Truffle
1 12 oz bag of dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
Melt chocolate, coconut oil and ground cinnamon over a double boiler and transfer to a heat safe bowl.
Next take the cranberry hazelnut cubes and dunk the in the chocolate mixture. Shake off the excess chocolate and place on a sheet of parchment paper.
Repeat until all the cubes have been coated and then top with flaky sea salt (optional but delicious) and place in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours to firm.
Enjoy xo
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