Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Rose Water Truffles

Thursday 23 March 2017

This post may contains affiliate links. Read my disclaimer policy here.

I know, I know. I said I was going to start being healthier, but you know what I always say if you're going to spoil yourself with sweet things, make them yourself. That way you know exactly what's going in, and you can always if you really have to, make healthier alternatives to some of the ingredients. You end up feeling slightly less guilty for indulging.

I don't know about you, but one thing I love about truffles (other than the taste but we'll get onto that later), is the fact that they're small. It's the perfect way to test your willpower. You see, with a bar of chocolate once the packet is open, it's game over. You break off a tiny piece and before you know it, you're looking around to see if the chocolate has been taken by someone, or has just vanished into thin air, but in fact, you have eaten the whole thing. With a truffle, you just pop one into your mouth, enjoy that creamy taste, and then you get someone to hide the box somewhere you can't reach until the next day... or a few hours later.

dairy-free dark chocolate rose water truffles

Seeing as Mother's Day is coming up this weekend, this recipe has been inspired by my own Mum. She absolutely loves truffles and on any birthday, Christmas and of course Mother's day, she is gifted with truffles of all flavours. She always says if you are going to buy me chocolates, don't buy me a block as I'll eat it all, but she really has no self-control when it came to truffles either, or anything sweet in fact... I definitely know where I get my sweet tooth from! As for the special ingredient rose water, my mum loves anything to do with roses. She eats, drink and adores the scent, so this special recipe is just for her.

I've never really been a huge fan of dark chocolate as I can find it quite bitter, but combined with the richness of the coconut cream, and the sweetness of the rose water it creates the perfect bitesize treat. Make sure the dark chocolate is at a high quality, I used a 72% but I wouldn't suggest anything lower than 70%. As this is a dairy-free recipe, double check the ingredients for no milk, but if this doesn't concern you, then buy as you like. You can also use cream instead of coconut cream, but it is a great alternative to use in most cooking and works amazingly well in these truffles. The taste of the coconut doesn't really come through, but like I mentioned, it makes the truffles so creamy and delicious. When using the rose water, you have to work by taste. I stated 3-5tsp on the ingredients list, but it depends on how strong you like them. These truffles are so tasty and mouthwatering, they remind me of Turkish delight. My willpower has definitely been put to the test with this recipe.

Learning to make dairy-free dark chocolate rose water truffles with @helloaycan

This recipe is so quick and easy to make, and you don't need any fancy equipment, not even a food processor. When I say easy, I mean so easy that they didn't go wrong, unlike a set of white chocolate truffles I tried to make for a previous post. I really shouldn't call them truffles as they're anything but, but the concoction is living in my freezer as a dip I like to spread on biscuits. Yes, these are so easy to make, and look so fancy decorated with edible gold glitter, they make the perfect Mother's Day gift. Feel free to coat them how you like, I have used both cocoa powder for a bitter taste, and dairy-free milk chocolate for a sweeter taste.

dairy-free dark chocolate rose water truffles dairy-free dark chocolate rose water truffles

DAIRY-FREE DARK CHOCOLATE ROSE WATER TRUFFLES

This recipe makes 24 little drops of chocolatey heaven.

    INGREDIENTS

  • 230g good quality dark chocolate
  • 120ml / 1/2 cup tinned coconut cream
  • 3-5tsp rose water
  • Optional: cocoa powder, dairy-free milk chocolate, edible glitter

    INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Finely chop the dark chocolate and put it into a heatproof bowl.
  2. Pour the coconut cream into a saucepan and heat until it starts to simmer.
  3. Pour the heated coconut cream into the dark chocolate and cover with clingfilm for 5 minutes. Remove and stir to make sure the coconut cream and dark chocolate has combined and completely melted.
  4. Add in your rose water 1tsp at a time and mix. Taste as you add each tsp, but I wouldn't recommend anything more then 5 as it can makes the consistency watery.
  5. Pour the mixture into a shallow pan and refrigerate uncovered for at least 2-3 hours, or until firm.
  6. Once chilled, using a tablespoon scoop and roll into a ball in the palm of your hand and straight onto parchments paper. Make sure your hands are cold when doing this or your truffles will melt. If they get a little soft, pop them back into the fridge.
  7. Time to decorate! If you're using cocoa powder or anything you roll, do this straight away. (I added a little edible glitter into my cocoa powder).
  8. If you're coating them with chocolate, put them back into the fridge for another 30 minutes. Once your chocolate has melted, remove your balls from the fridge, poke a cocktail stick halfway through your truffle and with a spoon, drizzle the chocolate on top. Don't put the truffle into the melted chocolate as it may melt your truffle! (I sprinkled a little edible glitter on top).
  9. Serve straight away, but if you have any left, keep them in the fridge.
dairy-free dark chocolate rose water truffles

This is probably one of my favourite recipes so far, and I urge you to try them too! Let me know in the comments below your favourite flavour of truffles. I think mine has to be strawberries and cream, mmmmm. If you make this recipe, please let me know and tag me in any photos you take.