Little Globes and Mother Earth

What can you possibly give as a gift to an expecting Mom who is a genius in the kitchen, incredibly well-read, gorgeous on the inside and out, and (did I mention) a genius in the kitchen? I scratched Manski's beard for hours trying to figure it out, when I realized that I should make her my Dani Spies and Elana inspired dark chocolate dried fruit truffles!

The beauty of these little beauties is that they can take on infinite incarnations through any variety of dried fruit or nuts you have on hand. I definitely recommend using the best quality of organic (sulphite-free) fruit you can find, as well as the best cocoa your means will afford you. For this particular batch, here is roughly what I used, but keep in mind that you can use dried cherries, gojis, crystallized ginger, dried currants and even apple rings. I love to roll these in hulled hemp seeds, toasted sesame seeds or even chia seeds, but I wanted to use what I had on hand for this batch.

Without further ado, I present a recipe that, along with a great cup of tea, can challenge any bad-day demon.



Dried Fruit and Dark Chocolate Truffles

Truffles:
-1/2 c organic turkish apricots, roughly chopped
-small handful each of organic prunes, medjool dates, and dried mango
-1T (heaping) of raw almond butter (you could use any nut butter you like)
-1/4c almond milk
-2 TB cocoa powder (I used Green and Blacks)
-1T agave nectar
-1TB vanilla (I used organic Madagascar)
-1/2tsp coarse salt

For rolling:
-small bowls of each:
black sesame seeds
cocoa powder
unsweetened, shredded (dried) coconut

Method:
1. Place all truffle ingredients except for cocoa powder, agave, vanilla and salt in food processor. Process until mostly smooth. A few bigger pieces is great for texture.
2. Mix in, by hand, cocoa, agave, vanilla and salt. Add more cocoa if mixture seems too wet.
3. Wet your hands, and grab about a tablespoon worth of the mixture, rolling into a ball, and then coating each truffle with your coating of choice.
4. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

These truffles make the best gifts! I love packing them in mason jars with a big string of rafia and attaching a recipe card. They are so packed with nourishment and are outlandishly delicious!