Yes you read that right – chickpeas! I’m always keen to sneak extra protein into a dish, and I was intrigued to experiment with chickpeas in a sweet context. I love black bean chocolate brownie, so it made sense that other legumes could translate well into a sweet treat. These little choc bombs are fudgy, soft, rich and not too sweet. Topped with dark chocolate & sprinkled with festive toppings, these fudgy fridge treats make a lovely home-made gift.
400 g tin of organic chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 Tbsp maca (optional, though it does give a lovely earthy caramel note)
2 Tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
2 -3 Tbsp rice malt syrup or maple syrup
2 Tbsp nut butter (I used peanut)
100 g dark chocolate (I used a sugar-free vegan brand)
optional toppings: freeze-dried berry powder, plain or toasted dessicated coconut, puffed quinoa, buckinis, cacao nibs, toasted sesame seeds, crushed pistachio…
Blend the chickpeas, maca, cacao, rice malt syrup or maple and nut butter in a food processor until a satisfyingly thick smooth dough forms. Keep going until it’s as lump-free as possible.
With damp hands, roll truffle-sized balls. If your peanut butter was very oily, or if the chickpeas were somewhat wet, the consistency might be pretty damp – either forge ahead with wet hands, or put the ‘dough’ in the fridge for 15 -30 minutes to firm up a little before rolling.
Line up the rolled balls on a tray lined with baking paper. You’ll end up with roughly 20. Store them in the fridge while you melt the chocolate.
In a double boiler – or by placing a bowl over a gently simmering pot of water – melt the chocolate. Carefully drizzle the melted chocolate over each truffle as best you can (I managed most of a ball, not all of it). Before the chocolate cools and hardens, sprinkle your chosen topping on top. I worked in batches of 4 or 5 at a time.
Store the truffles in the fridge, but be warned, they will sing to you, demanding consumption….
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