RED BEANS
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
(4 people)
INGREDIENTS
- 400 g cooked Red Beans
- 30 g almond, hazelnut or coconut flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons liquid sweetener, such as honey, maple syrup, or agave
- 100g dark chocolate
- 20g virgin coconut oil
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or the scraped seeds from half a vanilla bean)
- Ground hazelnut or pistachios, cocoa powder, or coconut flour, for coating
INSTRUCTIONS
Blend che cooked beans to a smooth paste. Add the nut flour of choice and the cocoa powder, and mix well.
In a bowl, break the chocolate and blend it with the sweetener, coconut oil, vanilla, and the pinch of salt. Add the superfoods if using. Add everything to the bean paste, and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the fridge and let sit for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the coatings of choice in small trays or dishes.
Take the bean mix out of the fridge and make small balls, which you will then roll into your favorite coatings. Line them in serving trays or stands.
Store the truffles in the fridge. They make for a great snack or healthy dessert, or for a break with tea and friends.
Even though I am not vegan, I restrict my consumption of animal products to occasional tastings, usually when I am not home. In my everyday cooking, I prefer natural foods from the countryside, where I am lucky enough to get fresh eggs and some small-batch cheeses. When I started doing sports, I cut out processed foods and got interested in sustainable sources of protein - as are legumes.
I love to develop recipes that are entirely vegan, and sweets are especially easy to succeed, both in their vegan and healthy version.
There is just one rule: never talk about your creations being vegan. Sometimes, the word 'vegan' paired with sweets makes a few foreheads frown.
Many of the most known sweets available worldwide are vegan, including several industrial cookies and a famous American chocolate cake. Sweets with chocolate come out especially well: the absence of dairy makes the chocolate flavor shine, and a touch of salt and spices bring it up a notch.
When combined with the delicate taste of red beans, which have been used for the longest time as an ingredient in asian and Japanese desserts, the wedding of flavors is just perfect.
I have deceived relatives, grandparents and friends alike with these truffles. They are perfect as a small bite with coffee or as a quick pre-workout snack. Use quality chocolate, and load up on your favorite spices.
To make them 100% vegan, use maple or agave instead of honey.
So if you have vegan or gluten-intolerant friends, these will do the trick. But just serve them to everyone and, if someone asks for a recipe, do not disclose your secret!
I am Valentina, a photographer. A transition from the countryside between Marche and Romagna to the USA made me passionate about green, natural cooking. Hortus Cuisine, my blog, was born three years ago from this passion, which now focuses on mediterranean diet and recipes and photography. When I am not taking photos, I love to work on my writing and on honing my knowledge about food and wine. Legumes are the throbbing heart of a blog like mine, which focuses on Italian food. Legumes are the very soul of mediterranean cooking; they are a poor yet beautiful maid, able to make a feast out of naught.
