These are the jewels of the middle-east. A no-bake, raw dessert mimicking the vibrancy of middle-eastern desserts, without the added sugar syrups and sweeteners. The truffles are made with palestinian medjool dates stuffed with a strawberry yoghurt 'bounty' & strawberry chia jam. Coated in dark choc and pistachios.
If you're not a sweet tooth you will love this one. The contrast between the dark chocolate, berry jam and coconut yoghurt gives it balance. Try not to add syrup to sweeten the chocolate.
The cocotribe strawberry yoghurt is my preference when it comes to selecting flavoured yoghurts as the only added 'sugar/sweetner' is rice malt syrup. From what I've seen they're one of the only organic, dairy free yoghurts in the Australian market that actually list the vegan cultures used on the ingredients label. The strawberry 'bounty' fill is made with the cocotribe strawberry organic coconut milk yoghurt and desiccated coconut. I have used fresh strawberries to make a quick jam using chia seeds. No syrup or sugar required. The chocolate topping is made with cocoa and cacao butter. Aim for equal ratios for a dark chocolate.
Watch a quick video reel on the process here.
Jump to Recipe
A no-bake dessert that is berry-licious. Bite into a pop of sweet and slightly sour strawberry chia jam and coconut wrapped in a date and chocolate sleeve. For a sweeter alternative, coat in white chocolate instead.
Med-jewel truffles
Time: 30-45 Minutes Yield: 14-20 Truffles
Nutrition Facts (coming soon)
Ingredients
1 tub / (300g) cocotribe strawberry yoghurt (or any strawberry yoghurt)
10-20 Jumbo medjool dates
1/4 cup Cocoa powder
1 cup Cacao butter
1 punnet fresh strawberries
1 tbsp chia seeds
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
Crushed pistachios (for topping)
Maple syrup (optional)
Vanilla bean paste (optional)
Note: half the ingredient quantities to make less.
Method 1. Hull and wash the strawberries, then cut them in half and add to a pot with ¼ cup water. Let them simmer on low heat until they start to become soft and fall apart. Optional: You can add a splash of maple syrup here but strawberries are sweet enough, so water should suffice.
2. Once fully cooked, remove them from the heat and puree with a fork. Add chia seeds and mix through until thick. The chia seeds will absorb the water and thicken the jam. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate. If you are short for time, place in freezer for 20-30 minutes max.
3. Add 300g strawberry yoghurt to a mixing bowl with desiccated coconut and mix until thick and combined. This should not be runny. You can add more coconut if required. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
4. Prepare the medjool dates by hulling them from their seeds and slicing them in half on one side only – so that you can open and stuff them.
5. Prepare the chocolate by placing a glass or oven safe bowl over hot boiling water on the stove top (bain-marie). Add cacao butter and cocoa powder and mix through until combined, thick and creamy. You can add more cocoa here until you reach desired texture and flavour. If it’s too bitter, add maple syrup and a very small amount of vanilla bean paste. Note that the date, berry and coconut stuffing will be sweet, so adding a sweetner to the chocolate will compound the sugar levels and make the truffle very rich. A bitter outer layer will offset the sweet stuffing instead.
6. Once the chocolate is ready, take the berry jam, coconut stuffing out of the fridge and begin to assemble your truffles.
7. Place a small amount of coconut stuffing and berry jam into the date and close. Drizzle chocolate on top of the opening until completely covered, then place the stuffed date (now truffle) into the chocolate bowl and coat with the chocolate. Remove the truffle with hands (fun part) or tongs and place onto a tray or plate. If you have a wire/mesh cooling rack, placing the dates onto this will prevent too much chocolate from sticking to the plate. Or alternatively, place baking paper under the truffles. Sprinkle with pistachios or desiccated coconut and repeat for the remaining dates.
8. Place into the fridge for an hour (or freezer if you are time poor, for 20 minutes) and the result will be a firm outer chocolate later that will last outside of the fridge for a whole day in an air-tight container without melting. The stuffing is light and sweet and highlights strawberries.
