Friday, July 26, 2024

VEGAN HONEY SESAME CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

This is a type of dessert that I loved the most as a child, and I still love them to this day, to be completely honest. They are miniature desserts that are typically served during holidays and celebrations, and they are quite literally the very first thing that gets eaten at any gathering.
Understandably so, too, as they are an absolutely delicious, one-bite sweet little treat that is often either made out of chocolate or glazed in chocolate. They are often made with traditional ingredients like walnuts or hazelnuts, honey, jam, and various types of ground biscuits.
My tips for success
I actually like to weigh each truffle so they are all the same, but you can most definitely just use a teaspoon and take out batter like that, especially if you will be enjoying them at home. This will definitely save time.
Use whichever vegan honey you prefer, and if you wish, you can add a few drops of honey flavouring, if it is available to you. That way the flavour will shine through more intensely and blend really well with sesame. Using maple syrup is also an option, although it will alter the flavour slightly. Do keep in mind that some vegan honeys and maple syrup are a bit runny, so you might need a bit more biscuit crumbs to make them hold their shape. Always have more than the recipe calls for, in case they absorb more liquid, or you decide to roll them in those same crumbs after shaping.
I used a mix of white and black sesame seeds, but you can use all white sesame seeds, the truffles will still be absolutely delicious. You can, if you wish, additionally dip them in chocolate instead of rolling them in sesame seeds, but do use a thin layer of chocolate, so it does not end up overpowering.

Vegan honey sesame chocolate truffles posni sitni kolači recipe by food writer pastry development chef Tina Vesić

Ingredients
75 grams vegan block butter
25 grams soy milk
50 grams vegan honey
50 grams dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa solids)
1 teaspoon vanilla
150 grams sesame seeds, white and black, divided
125 grams vegan vanilla biscuits, finely ground

Preparation
Start by toasting the sesame seeds over medium heat. Place a large pan over medium heat and add the sesame seeds in an even layer. Toast them, while stirring, for about 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant, but make sure they do not burn, as they will taste quite bitter. Once done, take out 50 grams of the mixed sesame seeds to use as topping, and put the rest into a separate bowl.
Take a medium saucepan and add in the soy milk, vegan honey, vegan block butter, and vanilla, and place it over medium heat. Let it heat up slowly and meld together without coming to a boiling point. Once everything is melted, add in the chocolate, remove from the heat, and stir until combined.
Pour this mixture over the larger portion of the toasted sesame seeds, and mix well. Finally, start adding in the biscuit crumbs. Depending on your specific biscuit, you may not use the whole quantity, or you might need a bit more. It is always handy to have a bit more biscuits when making this type of truffles.
Once everything is nicely mixed, let it cool down slightly, so you can shape it into truffles. This can be done by letting it stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes, or if your kitchen is really warm, by placing the bowl in the refrigerator for not longer than 10 minutes.
Take out small portions of the batter, around 15 grams per truffle, shape them into a nice little sphere, and immediately roll in the reserved sesame seeds. That way, the topping will stick to them nicely. Keep rolling until you use up all of the batter, arrange them in a single layer on a large serving platter, and let them firm up in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Yields 25 small truffles.