Month-of-Mini-Desserts: Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles

Today is National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day so we are doing truffles! Now, not all truffles are filled with cream or anything else, but this was the closest mini-dessert I could get for this food holiday.

I have to admit, early on in my cooking experience, when someone told me she was making truffles to give as Christmas presents, I was by parts appalled and mystified. Why would you give someone a box of mushroom-like stuff and how do you make them? I thought they grew in France and you needed pigs.

Well. That wasn’t it, now was it?

I had a good chuckle to myself later, but then the word guy in me wondered how in the heck a dessert got the truffle name. People make up new words all the time. Why didn’t they do that for the dessert? Upon reading about the origin of dessert truffles, I found it was because the ganache ball, rolled in cocoa powder, resembled the savory truffle. Okaaaay. I still would have renamed it!

In today’s truffle recipe, avocado and dark chocolate are both superfoods you should be eating, so this is practically mandated by healthcare professionals. Right.

I found this recipe and modified it.

One modification was serving size. Instead of tablespoon-size balls, I used teaspoons. Three teaspoons = one tablespoon, but there is something psychological about eating 3 of something as opposed to only one that has the same total mass. You agree, right? You can make your balls bigger if you like. Another modification was using mini-chips instead of chopping regular ones.

When I tried a chocolate and avocado pudding with DH, he really didn’t care for it, so when I told him I was making chocolate avocado truffles, he said, “Why can’t you just do normal ones? Like the ones I like.”

Sigh. It’s hard living with a Philistine. Sorry. Only kidding. We all have our own tastes. But I thought it was worth a shot. Never should have told him what was in it. But over the decades he has learned to be suspicious when I say, “Try this.”

Dark Chocolate Avocado Truffles (makes about 15-20 truffles) 

1 large, ripe avocado

5 ounces of the darkest chocolate you can find

5 ounces mini-chocolate chips

Coatings to roll balls in (see NOTE below)

Scoop out the avocado halves and mash with electric mixer or put in mini-food processor to pulverize the flesh. It should have no lumps.

Meanwhile, your dark chocolate is melting in the microwave in two 15-second intervals then 10-second intervals until all are melted. Some chips may hold there shape but still be melted so check periodically to see if melted.

Fold avocado into melted chocolate and stir thoroughly to incorporate.

Add mini-chocolate chips. Stir thoroughly.

Refrigerate for 1 hour until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls. (If you wait longer, the chocolate won’t be malleable. Just pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds to get it malleable.)

Scoop out teaspoon-size bits of mixture and roll into balls. I place them on a chilled plate while I roll balls.

When all your balls are done, roll them in one or more coatings.

Put on a cute plate. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

NOTE: Coatings: I used finely ground walnuts, toasted coconut, cocoa powder, and orange zest. But choose whatever sounds good to you!

DH’s RATING: 5 Tongues Up

To my great surprise, DH loved these little chocolate goodies. He especially liked the coconut-coated ones. Didn’t care as much for the orange zest ones. He says I can make this chocolate-avocado mixture again! Yay!

There are dozens of truffles recipes out there. Here are a few of my favorites:

Eggnog Truffles  

Alton Brown’s Chocolate Truffles    

 

Oreo Truffles    

Ina Garten’s Chocolate Truffles    

Martha Stewart’s Truffles Recipes   

Easy Chocolate Truffles