Date & Almond Truffles

This Kosher and dairy free dessert, Date & Almond truffles, won't result in you missing chocolate. With the natural sweetness of the dates, crunchy texture of the almonds, and a soft blanket of cocoa powder or coconut flakes, many people have found them simply irresistible. And the best part is, they are easy to make, and require no baking. You can even get the kids involved forming the little date balls and rolling them around in different toppings. Sticky hands will result, but it is fun and well worth the effort! I hope you give this simple candy a try, and if you are celebrating, have a happy Passover.

This is a recipe featured in my new cookbook. For more recipes and stories, visit "Stories from Morocco: a food and travel memoir" now available through Kindle. 

Ingredients (Makes about 20 good size truffles)

• 2 1/2 cups whole pitted dates
• 2 cups slivered blanched almond, toasted
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

1. Pit the dates, if they are not already pitted. Use a small knife to cut them lengthwise and remove the seed. Then, in a food processor add the dates, almonds, honey, orange juice, cinnamon, and salt. Process until almonds are finely chopped and the mixture looks the same throughout. You may need to do this in batches if you have a smaller food processor. Be sure not to overheat the machine. Use reduced quantities in multiple batches and give the machine a break occasionally.  

processing dates, stop when it forms into a ball

2. Roll out truffles with your hands, using about a tablespoon each (you can also use a small ice cream scoop, like a #60 or #90 for more uniformly sized truffles, look on the scooping blade inside the scoop for size). Set aside. 

3. In one bowl place the shredded coconut, and in another place the cocoa powder. Then, dip truffles in either the coconut or cocoa powder, rolling them to coat the surface. The coconut doesn't stick as well as cocoa. You can place a little extra on top of the truffles after setting them on the plate. 

the rolling station, dates, coconut, cocoa

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