House warmings in warm houses with home-made date truffles

House warmings in warm houses with home-made date truffles

It is the beginning of December… another season of sharing food. I had a house warming potluck to attend and  I needed to be inspired... I just love being welcomed into other folks’ homes to share food and company. Currently in Vernon, it is warm and quite sunny! A rare treat on a December day, usually the valley can be quite socked in this time of year, with thick heavy clouds. I didn’t feel like making something heavy and rich, I wanted to be refreshed with a dish that would be remembered.
I recently attended an event at The Art We Are in Kamloops, a funky little gallery showcasing hand-made gifts, great food, beautiful stones and lots of artwork. This particular event was full of music, sing-a-longs and warm, happy faces. By the end of the night, Natalia and I needed a quick “pick-me-up” to get us through the long drive home, so we grabbed some ALY’S Gluten Free TRAIL MIX TRUFFLES from the menu and trekked off to the car. These were deeee-licious! They weren’t exactly graceful snacking, I think it is safe to say we “scarfed” them out of sheer necessity before they could fall apart in our hands. But what a lovely balance of textures and tastes!

I decided to make some of my own creation for my potluck. I took about:

• 14 large, organic Medjool dates 
• ¼ c organic golden Incan berries 
• 3 tbsp organic raw, whole cashews 
• 5 cubes of crystallized ginger 
• ¼ c dark chocolate domes  (roughly chopped)
• 3 tbsp coconut flour
• 2 tbsp chocolate protein powder
• ¼ c organic shredded coconut

I covered the first four ingredients, just barely, with water for about 45 minutes. I then drained and pulsed the soaked ingredients in a blender or food processor. Transferred the mixture back into the bowl, added the roughly chopped domes, the coconut flour and the protein powder and mixed it all nicely with my hands.

I then spread the coconut out on a plate, pressed the mixture into little balls, and rolled them in the coconut.

~ Voila ~

Uncooked goodness super food style. These little guys can be substituted very easily! Raisins or cranberries easily take the place of Incan berries; walnuts, slivered or sliced almonds, or pecans would make great substitutes for cashews. Easy to play around with. The dates really are the truffle-like substance of these treats. Try coating them in melted chocolate for a home-made chocolate indulgence! Lovely for gifts and a healthy treat.