Fermented Chocolate Truffles
Most people do not realize that you can ferment almost anything. Throughout history we have had different reasons for fermenting food – to preserve, for flavour, to increase nutrient content and probiotics, to improve digestibility, and to break down anti-nutrients.
So why ferment chocolate when you can easily just grab a bar off the shelf at your local grocery store?
Fermenting for even just for a few hours allows the growth of beneficial bacteria who activate enzymes, improve the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals, create new beneficial metabolites from the phytonutrients, and make everything easier to digest. So, why not ferment your chocolate?
In addition, the chocolate itself serves as a prebiotic for those beneficial bacteria. The hempseeds, cashews, almonds, and coconut are also good prebiotics. The raw honey in this recipe provides some prebiotics and is a natural anti-biotic against the bad bacteria in your gut.
As with anything fermented, these truffles take a little time. But hey, a probiotic/prebiotic treat means you can eat them guilt-free! Just don’t have all of them at once!
The recipe below is easy to make and you can keep the truffles in your refrigerator or freezer to have as a treat. They are rich and yummy. Feel free to adjust the sweetness to taste.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews or almonds, or a mixture of bot
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 Tbsp of sauerkraut juice or whey
- 1-2 Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 100 g dark chocolate bar (70% cocoa solid or higher)
- 1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Rolling the balls:
- Unsweetened shredded coconut.
Grind it up a bit if you prefer a finer texture.
Instructions:
- Add the cashews, hemp seeds and shredded coconut to a 1 liter jar. Add water to cover and sauerkraut juice or whey. Place the lid on the Mason jar. Let the mixture ferment at room temperature for 12- 24 hours.
- After the mixture has fermented, drain it through a sieve. Do not allow the mixture to dry out. You want to keep those beneficial bacteria!
- Use a double boiler or create a double boiler by placing a bowl inside a pot of water. Heat the water so it is warm enough to melt the chocolate.
- Add the chocolate and coconut oil or butter into the bowl and allow the ingredients to melt.
- While this is happening, place the fermented mixture in a food processor and add the honey. Process it until everything is smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture to the food processor with the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Process again.
- Put it in the refrigerator to chill for at least half an hour or until it is firm enough to roll. Add more honey if the mixture seems dry. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls.
- You can eat them as is or roll in shredded coconut.
- Serve these right away or place them in the refrigerator or freezer. Since these truffles have good bacteria in them, don’t leave them out at room temperature for too long.
