dark chocolate peanut butter walnut truffles

This is the recipe I deleted the photos to last Sunday.

The reshoot may have turned out better.  Funny how that works.

This recipe is inspired by the evil truffle walnuts I tasted at Whole Foods.  Have you tried them?  Maybe you’re more familiar with the organic chocolate truffles they make?  They come in a red box and are truffle perfection—in my opinion.  However, I am no truffle connoisseur.

Anyway, back to the walnut truffles.  They’re basically a whole walnut, dipped in a fudgy + slightly sweet dark chocolate coating, and then dusted with cocoa powder.  Not rocket science, but so simply delicious.

Their ingredient list calls for cocoa butter which probably helps with stabilization.  I haven’t picked up cocoa butter for cooking yet, so I used coconut oil instead.  I also added peanut butter because who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate?  Instead of melting chocolate chips I used unsweetened cocoa powder to keep the ingredient list to a minimum.  They are lightly sweetened with honey and then tossed in cocoa powder to finish them off.

Slightly messy, completely addicting.

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Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Walnut Truffles

gluten-free, grain-free // yields 32-40 whole walnuts

• 32-40 whole walnuts
• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter [not the oil on top kind]
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 cup plus 2.5 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1. Line a pan parchment paper.
2. Melt the coconut oil and peanut butter over med-low heat.
3. Take off the heat and whisk in the 2.5 tablespoons cocoa powder, honey, and salt.  The mixture should be thick but pourable.
4. Coat walnuts one by one completely and place on the parchment lined pan .
5. Place in the freezer to set for 30 minutes.
6. Place the cocoa powder in a bowl and coat the walnuts one by one with the help of a fork.
7. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

notes: Pecans would also work well but almonds or peanuts may be a bit more difficult to work with.  Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon if desired.  Use maple syrup instead of honey to make vegan. 

I swear yesterday was Monday.  I blinked and now it’s Friday.

Happy weekend!

Ashley

apple cider muffins with apple butter cashew cream

Every year I think the world is coming to an end when summer produce, specifically fruit, is not available anymore.  It hurts my brain to think about not having strawberries for another 9 months and an even longer wait for peaches.

But then fall happens and I forget all about those sweet summer fruits and remember that I’m quite obsessed with apples.  You can find apples—so many different varieties—anytime of the year, which might make apple season seem a bit humdrum. 

However, apples during apple season are anything but ordinary.  The first stop I make at the market each week is the apple stand for apple “seconds.”  You know, the apples that have a miniscule ding in them making them 50% cheaper.  I love them.  I wish I had another mouth + stomach to eat more of them.

My current obsession is over Jonagold apples.  They are super crunchy + sweet but also have a nice tang.  I know you are all probably like, “but what about honeycrisps!!???”

Jonagolds are the winner for me this year.  Hands down!

So that is my story about apples and fall and how I could care less about strawberries and peaches right now.

Apples rule.

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Apple Cider Muffins with Apple Butter Cashew Cream

gluten-free, dairy-free // yields 12 – 14 muffins

Gluten-free baked goods are notorious for being dense, but these will surprise you with their soft + fluffy texture.  They are very lightly sweetened with honey and lightly spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Perfect for breakfast.

• 1 cup gluten free oat flour
• 3/4 cup raw buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 2 tablespoons ground flax meal
• 3/4 cup peeled + grated apple
• 2/3 cup apple cider
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup apple butter fruit juice sweetened
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350* and line your muffin tin with liners.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.
3. Whisk the apple cider, honey, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl until combined.
4. Whisk in the melted coconut oil last and then pour the wet mixture into the dry.
5. Stir with a large spoon until the batter is just combined.
6. Blot the grated apple lightly with a paper towel and fold it into the batter until evenly distributed.  Make sure to use the large holes on your grater.
7. Let sit 3-5 minutes to thicken.
8. Pour evenly into muffin lines and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  The tops should be golden brown and a toothpick should come out moist but not bone dry.
9. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5min and move them [in the liners] to a cooling rack.
10. The muffins will firm up once fully cooled.

notes:  Apple butter is a key ingredient in having the apple flavor come through.  It contains no actual butter and has about 1/2 of the sugar as a typical fruit juice sweetened jelly.  You can grind oat flour in your high speed blender using gluten free oat groats, steel cut oats, or rolled oats.  For buckwheat flour it’s best to use raw buckwheat groats, not kasha or toasted buckwheat.

Apple Butter Cashew Cream

• 1 heaping cup of raw/unsalted cashews
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup milk
• 2-3 tablespoons apple butter fruit juice sweetened

1. Soak the cashews overnight or for at least 4 hours.
2. Drain and rinse the cashew and put in your blender.  It works much easier to have over 1 cup.  If you use less, it will be hard for them to blend together.
3. Add 1/4 cup milk and blend, scraping the sides as needed.  Add more milk to smooth out to a thick and smooth consistency.
4. Measure out 1/2 cup of the cashew cream and mix in apple butter until it’s as flavorful and sweet as you like.
5. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for a week.

*This is a very creamy and spreadable topping.  It’s not thick like frosting.

Tomorrow is Saturday.

Saturday = market day = apple day = happy

Ashley