I was at Bulk Barn last week to pick up hemp seeds and I left with various red and pink mini cupcake liners, dried cherries, red heart tins, hearts on a stick, and V-Day heart tags. You know, baking “construction materials”. Gag me. I tell ya, I embarrass myself sometimes. Oh, and I forgot the hemp seeds.
I don’t even remember what I wanted hemp for anyways.
It’s all about the dried tart cherries right now. They taste like fruit roll-ups…but better.
I rarely think to pair cherries and chocolate throughout the year, but once February hits, it’s all I can think about. I also like to add a touch of almond extract to take cherry recipes over the top. Almond extract brings me back to my childhood when I used to eat cherry almond icebox cookies around the holidays. There’s just something about the scent that is so comforting to me.
I decided to make a cherry truffle based off my Chocolate Macaroon truffles. The best part is you can freeze the truffles ahead of time. The worst part is, they taste best straight from the freezer.
So if you are like me and think, “oh if I put them in the freezer I won’t eat them all!”… think again. I’m not a miracle worker here.
A freezer will not stand in the way of a girl and her truffles! I wouldn’t stand for it.
[Despite my best efforts to be a food stylist, I just noticed the chocolate chips and cherries look a bit like rodent droppings on the dinner table. Now that’s romantic!]
Dark Chocolate Cherry Walnut Truffles
Yield
23-24 truffles
Prep time
Cook time
Chill time
2 hours
Total time
Similar to my Chocolate Macaroon Truffles, but with a slight tart cherry flavour, hint of almond extract, and walnut crunch. To make the truffles, I soaked and blended dried tart cherries with a bit of sweetener (my immersion blender mini processor worked great for this) and folded it into the truffle mixture with a touch of almond extract. To dress them up for Valentine’s Day, roll the truffles in pink-dyed shredded coconut. Be sure to use a great tasting chocolate here for the best outcome.
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnut halves, finely chopped and toasted
- 1 cup dried tart cherries
- 2 tbsp agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1.5 cups of your favourite vegan chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (use the cream from the top of the can)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt, to taste (I used 1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- 12 drops red food colouring
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and toast the chopped walnuts for 12 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, soak the cherries in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes. Drain and add to food processor (or mini immersion processor like I used) along with 2 tbsp agave or other sweetener. Process until finely chopped.
- In a medium-sized pot, heat the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring as necessary. Add in the coconut milk and stir well. Add toasted walnuts, cherry mixture, and almond extract. Stir again until combined. Now add the kosher salt to taste. The salt should give the sweetness a bit of a pop. Add a touch more sweetener if necessary to achieve your desired taste.
- Spoon the truffle mixture into a bowl and place in the freezer, uncovered, for 90 minutes, stirring every half hour. After 90 mins, stir again and transfer bowl to the fridge for another 20 minutes until chocolate is firm and workable.
- In a small bowl, mix together the coconut and food colouring until pink. When the truffle mixture is firm enough to handle, roll into small balls (you can use wet fingers if necessary- it will be very sticky!) and then roll into coconut mixture until you have about 23 balls. Store in an air-tight container in the freezer or fridge (they will become very soft at room temperature). They should keep for a couple weeks in the freezer in an air-tight container. I like to place mine in a baggy first, then in a container, to prevent freezer burn.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Pack them up in a heart-shaped tin and you have yourself a bite-sized Valentine’s Day gift.
No hemp seeds required.
they look so pretty!! I made chocolates with dried cherries in them today, and they taste amazing! When they’re all gone (nothing makes it to my freezer, either), I’ll be trying these out!
I would eat those even if there were rodent droppings all around them! Haha
bahahahahaha! Me too!
hah ;)
These look awesome and simple! Could you send me a box and I wills end you some of my brownie bites! :)
Deal :)
Wow, they look awesome and I love how festive and seasonal you styled the photos for Valentine’s Day. So pretty, Angela!
And I’ll take a dozen. Or more :) They sound wonderful!
LOVE the photos. I’ve been thinking about making truffles for my friends for V.day :) Love the flavor combo here.
Oh how cute!!! I love that you colored the coconut. I wonder if beet juice work work in lieu or food coloring?
So pretty! I’d love to try this with beet juice instead of the food coloring
YUM. I love dried cherries; I really should get some so I can make some granola and these truffles! Your photos look fabulous, as always, even with the ‘rodent droppings’! ;) I always come out of a store with a billion things for baking instead of what I actually need, too; you’re not alone!
Would honey work in place of agave? This recipe looks great!
I can’t see why not!
Oh Bulk Barn, how I miss thee! I used to go to the one in Moncton all the time, next to the Superstore. Even though people love a good bargain here in the Netherlands, there are no bulk stores. My husband claims that they would not work here cause people might be tempted to take way more than they should. Ha!
That looks like a delicious and thoughtful Valentines day gift :)
Oh how sweet! Gorgeous pics, they look beautiful :)
Such a cute & yummy idea for Valentine’s Day! Chocolate = love, for sure! =)
Ooooh lovely! Some of my favourite flavours combined in one package!
Oh goodness. I’m almost lost for words. Amazing!
Great idea for a Valentine’s gift xx
You’re too hard on yourself–the photos look great! And these truffles sound amazing. :-)
Angela these look amazing! I need to make these for me, not for V-day!! Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it out!! I need a day to dedicate to ball making! :)
Angela, I’m so glad that the feed to your blog has been changed and the full post shows up in my Reader. My confession is that I subscribe to tons of blogs and often, if it’s just a summary, I won’t click through to read if I don’t have the time. Now I can read your full posts and I thank you!
Pinned your gorgeous truffles!
Really? I didn’t know anything was changed….weird!
Aw Ange to think you forgot the hemp seeds haha! I love the styling of these photographs even if those raisins look like poop, the heart cases are so sweet and appropriate. Bet these bad boys taste amazing, will you be my valentine?!
Yes! no one has asked me yet ;)
These truffles are absolutely gorgeous!!!
Hahahaaaa! This one had me dying: the cherries and chocolate chips look a bit like rodent droppings! LMAO!
But you’re right…my 2 bunnies sure do drop thinks that look like those cherries. Only I doubt they taste half as good – and I am NOT gonna try and find out LOL! I think I’ll stick to this recipe instead.
Have you figured out yet what you wanted hemp for? “wink-wink”
I don’t think I’ve seen bunny droppings before, but that’s funny.
LOL about the rodent droppings!!! I’m the same way when I go into Bulk Barn – I usually come out with everything BUT the thing I went in for. I swear, it took me 4 trips to remember to get cinnamon sticks!! These sound delicious Ange, and like you said, who really needs hemp seeds when you’ve got gorgeous baking construction materials?! ;)
I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love receiving those for a Valentine’s treat! Yum!
gooness!! these look amazing! i love the mini cupcake liners and heart tins!! what a fun gift!
Just when I thought you couldn’t possibly come out with something more scrumptious…..wow! They look delicious! I know what I’m making tonight for the kids! :-)
PS – Your Gingerbread cake with buttercream frosting is a huge hit! They ask for it all the time!
<3
This looks delicious! I just made a dried cherry macaroon recipe for Valentines Day, I’m posting in next Monday.
That sounds incredible! I never thought to use the dried cherries in macaroons. Yummy.
these are so pretty!! I love dried tart cherries and…Bulk Barn :)
I’d marry the person who gave me these for valentine’s day. Just right there on the spot. :D
Hey Ange, do you have any specific brand of food coloring that you use? I’ve been dying to make red velvet cupcakes but the ingredients of all the food colorings I can find here are total garbage.
Hey Faith! I just used the regular food colouring for this, but just placed an order this weekend for an all natural one: http://www.chocolatecraftkits.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=74_76 I’ll be sure to report how I like it if you are interested!
Pros of being single: You get to keep all of these truffles for yourself :D
These sound incredible! I also love almond extract. What is it about it that’s so comforting? Every time I use it, I contemplate wearing it as a perfume. I’m only half serious, but I definitely take a moment to breathe in that wonderful scent.
There are just no words. These look straight out of a Williams Sonoma magazine (except better!)
This looks heavenly! :D
You are so cute and funny! Honestly, the chocolate chips and cherries don’t look like rodent droppings. I was just thinking what a great photographer you are and how I can’t wait to make these. So yummy! I also try to freeze my baked good so I won’t eat them and often find them WAY better frozen which is a BIG problem. Life is short- so enjoying a truffle here and there is not going to kill us!
Have a great day.
Thanks Abby! Glad to know Im not alone in my freezer goodies ;)
These sound delicious! I’m not sure if I needed another way to eat truffles, but I sure want these. :) Your joke about rodent droppings made me giggle, but I think the picture is lovely!
Those are so cute! I absolutely love the combination of cherries and chocolate. I wonder if I could try doing a similar thing with chocolate and candied orange peel (one of my favorite dark chocolate bars has candied orange peel in it).
Cherries and chocolate is my favorite combo!!! I am so excited to try these! Thanks for another great recipe!
These look amaziiiing!!! To my to-do list (sometimes I feel I’m never gonna be able to finish it!!! Every day new recipes are added!).
LOVE!!! These look so fancy – a perfect V-Day surprise for a special someone.
I love that you used dried cherries – sometimes I get tired of using dried cranberries in everything and like to change it up!
They look delicious! I too LOVE almond extract; sometimes I will just open it and inhale.
Ahahaha! Rodent droppings. You crack me up.
In truth, everything looks delicious. I definitely want to make these, though I can’t remember ever having seen dried tart cherries before, but perhaps I wasn’t looking.
Just made your vegan and gluten free brownies last night but overbaked them a bit. So sad. :(
These my friend are gorgeous…so healthy and FUN!!
I have no idea what Bulk Barn is, but it sounds like a glorious place for me!! I love getting stuff for cheaper or finding fun little baking supplies :)
xxoo
What a cute post! These sound really good :)
These look delicious! Perfect for that someone special on valentines day!
Hi! These look fantastic. Do you think they’d be shelf-stable at room temperature for 2 days? I’d love to send some to my friend, but not if they wouldn’t be edible by the time she received them! Thanks for your blog, your recipes are fantastic.
Hmm good question! I really don’t think they would stay good for that long (due to the coconut milk going bad). They get quite soft at room temp unfortunately too.
I gotta say you always have the best food styling! That’s definitely an area I’m still working on and I admire well styled shots! Bellissima :)
Haha, you crack me up! I never would have thought of the droppings, but once you said it, I couldn’t stop giggling to myself. One of these days I will grow out of toilet jokes being funny. But not today.
On a different note, I can’t believe there were so few ingredients in a recipe that looks so sophisticated. Nice work!
~Emily~
You have given me the perfect idea for a v-day gifty for my guy! Thanks, as always, for your inspired ideas!
AWESOME! Can you suggest any “good quality” vegan chocolate chips?
Thank you
Im in love with these organic chips I buy from Ontario Natural Food Coop (its their brand), but it’s bought in bulk and you have to sign up for a membership to be able to buy from them. Probably not helpful I know!
I also like Cocoa Camino chocolate chips in the red bag but they are quite expensive :\