This month I have had the honour of hosting We Should Cocoa, a food blogging challenge by Choclette from Chocolate Log Blog. After some pondering I decided I would challenge you all to make and share your chocolates and truffles recipes, and you all certainly rose to the challenge! What a fantastic array of delicacies you have created, from gorgeous truffles, filled chocolates, chocolate coated caramels and other beautifully decorated delicacies, some with some rather unusual ingredients.
So here we are; get ready to have your taste buds tantalised!
Truffles by Rebecca from BakenQuilt.com
Rebecca delicately flavoured a dark chocolate ganache with orange and cinnamon before cutting them into squares and dipping in tempered couverture chocolate and decorating with a gorgeous cocoa butter transfer sheet. Rebecca provides very detailed instructions on how to dip chocolates to get a nice edge and I wish I’d read them properly before I made my own entry!
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Chocolate Lime Cups by Rachel Cotterill
After some great ideas about making chocolate limes and a few unsuccessful attempts at making a vegan marshmallow, Rachel filled dark chocolate cups with a whipped white chocolate ganache tinted green and flavoured with lime. I think the glitter sugar around the edges is lovely, and the combination of white chocolate, dark chocolate and lime sounds divine!
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No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls by Janet from The Taste Space
Janet whipped up these vegan no bake treats using dates, peanut butter, cocoa powder and coconut flour. Personally I think that chocolate and peanut butter are a marriage made in heaven, and I think these gluten and refined sugar-free morsels sound like the perfect quick late night chocolate craving satisfy-er!
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Raw Hibiscus & Goji Berry Chocolates by Aimee the Wallflower Girl
Inspired by the beautiful recipes and photographs in a cooking with flowers recipe book, Aimee decided to coat a raw hibiscus and goji berry truffle centre, made soft by the addition of creamy cashews, with a cacao coating. Not only do they look divine, they’re good for you too!
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Chocolate Avocado Truffles by Angela at My Golden Pear
Angela never fails to impress with her blog posts. Delicious recipes combined with beautiful photography always make for a great experience. These truffles use avocado to impart a creamy consistency to the truffle centre which is much healthier than the traditional cream version, she says. They’re then dipped in dark chocolate for the ultimate taste.
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White Chocolate Speculoos Truffles by Jen from Blue Kitchen Bakes
Jen’s entry this month is a 4-for-1 affair! Her special ingredient for these gorgeous sounding truffles is speculoos, and she makes her own blend. It is then used in cookies and a spread (both recipes are provided) which is then made into gorgeous truffles which she bakes inside a chocolate fondant! Heavenly! I’ve never tried speculoos but after reading Jen’s post I am very tempted to.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles by Ros at The More Than Occasional Baker
If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times – chocolate and peanut butter are a marriage made in heaven. They’re one of my favourite food combinations and Ros combines them superbly in these beautiful truffles made with cream cheese. Three ingredients, that’s it! Fantastic!
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Salted Caramelized Almond Flowers by Choclette at Chocolate Log Blog
Choclette, the brains behind We Should Cocoa, thought she’d try out some flower moulds given to her as a gift for this months challenge. Using her favourite flavour at the moment: salted caramel, Choclette made these wonderful looking chocolates with salted caramel almonds (yum!) and white chocolate buttons as the flower centres. I think they look superb!
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Blackcurrant and Toasted Coconut Truffles by Under the Blue Gum Tree
Frozen blackcurrants are combined with chocolate and creme fraiche and rolled in toasted coconut to make these little beauties. Creme de cassis adds some more lovely blackcurrant flavour in a very grown up truffle. She says, “The fresh ‘pop’ of the blackcurrants is a lovely contrast against the richness of the chocolate ganache.”
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Coconut Chocolates by Elizabeth from Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Inspired by the memory of my grandmother’s freezer coconut chocolates I developed this recipe as my own entry to this month’s challenge. There is a special ingredient which you’ll never guess, but you’ll have to go read the recipe to see! These chocolates have the taste and texture of a Bounty chocolate bar.
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Peppermint Creme Cups by Laura at I’d Much Rather Bake Than…
Laura made these perfectly elegant little peppermint creme cups with a peppermint flavoured fondant filling coated in luscious dark chocolate. Look how perfect her edges are! Love the icing sugar topping too. I bet these would make perfect Christmas presents (did I just mention Christmas? Is it too early for that?)
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Chocolates with a Healthy Peppermint Filling by Joanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe
Joanna also made peppermint chocolates for this month’s challenge, but this time they’re made with a refined sugar-free creamy cashew coconut filling flavoured with peppermint. She even makes her own chocolate to coat them in with coconut oil, cocoa and maple syrup. They look very tempting indeed!
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Beetroot, Chocolate and Lapsang Souchong Tea Truffles by Kate at Veggie Desserts
Kate combines cooked beetroot puree with dark chocolate and smoky lapsang souchong tea into these very posh truffles which were featured in the Guardian readers recipe swap last week! Well done Kate! I reckon since these truffles contain cooked vegetables they definitely contribute to ones 5-a-day. Pass some over please!
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Chocolate Oat Balls by the Nutty Tart
Based on the Swedish chokladbollar, The Nutty Tart made a gorgeous chocolate chewy oaty treat for her entry to this month’s challenge. I’m a big fan of the Swedish chocolate balls and her version sounds very tempting, especially with the addition of coffee. Mmmmm…. coffee and chocolate, perfect!!
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Low Calorie Chocolate Truffles by Fiona at London Unattached
Fiona shares with us a delightfully sin-free low calorie rum flavoured chocolate truffle made with zero fat quark. Each truffle is only 18-20 calories (16 if you omit the rum) so it’s perfect for those 5:2 fast days! I have to admit to eyeing up a package of Quark the last time I did a supermarket shop with these truffles in mind!
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Chocolate Cinnamon Creams by Snowy at Cookbooks Galore
As snowy says in her blog post: “They’re not the most glamorous looking chocolates, but they taste heavenly. Cream, chocolate and cinnamon – what’s not to like!” Double cream and dark chocolate are flavoured with cinnamon and then piped into shapes before being rolled in icing sugar. They sound like the perfect addition to any chocolate box!
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Slimming World Chocolate Truffles by Caroline from Caroline Makes
Caroline brings us another sin-free chocolate delicacy (well, not exactly, they work out to be 3.5 syns each!). Caroline’s chocolate is flavoured with Chambord black raspberry liqueur before being mixed with half-fat soured cream and rolled in cocoa powder. Who says low calorie doesn’t have to be indulgent? These sound amazing!
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Lemon Creams by Hannah at the Corner Cottage Bakery
Hannah brings us these adorable little chocolate dipped lemon creams. I love the little flower shapes! Hannah makes her lemon creams with egg white and icing sugar flavoured with lemon zest and juice before dipping them in dark chocolate. I think these would make a lovely gift if presented in a little paper origami box. (You know, I’m starting to think I have Christmas on the brain….!)
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A great big thank you to everyone who shared a recipe this month. I really enjoyed hosting the challenge and although I set you a fairly tricky challenge theme you all shared wonderful recipes for it. Thank you! Do keep an eye on Choclette’s We Should Cocoa page for next month’s challenge host and theme!
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes says
September 2, 2013 at 9:40 pmA great round up, some really fantastic entries here, even though it’s nearly time for bed I’m feeling peckish again looking at all this chocolate!
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:35 amThank you Jen 🙂 Isn’t it a wonderful selection! I’m delighted at how varied the entries are too.
fiona maclean says
September 1, 2013 at 10:30 amhehehe the catch with the quark truffles is that they are really very good. Result – some of us try to eat them…in large quantities!
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:34 amI’ve now picked up some Quark – you’ve inspired me!
Hannah says
September 1, 2013 at 10:12 amI’m pretty sure that I’ve put on weight just looking at all these gorgeous entries! Always such a wide range of inspiring ideas, well done everyone!
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:33 amI know I put on weight writing this round up! Haha!
Rebecca says
August 31, 2013 at 11:19 pmThanks for the challenge, Elizabeth!
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:33 amThank you ever so much for contributing! Much appreciated, Rebecca 🙂
Choclette says
August 31, 2013 at 6:14 pmThank you so much for hosting Elizabeth and doing such a splendid write up. These chocolates are fantastic and I’m very keen to try all of them of course. It was good to see “healthy” chocolates make such a good showing. As well as generally craving chocolate now, I’m really wanting chocolate and peanut butter truffles in some form or other.
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:32 amIt was my pleasure! I really enjoyed it and I think everyone did so fantastically well with their recipes. I’m delighted! I could go some chocolate peanut butter combo now too!
Janice Pattie says
August 31, 2013 at 3:23 pmI was feeling guilty about not entering, but I see you had loads of entries, they all look superb, must bookmark for seasonal gifts.
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:24 amOh no need to feel guilty! I’m glad you enjoyed the round up though and I hope you do try a few for gifts 🙂
Johanna GGG says
August 31, 2013 at 12:17 pmFantastic round up of beautiful chocolates – I will be back for ideas when I start making gift box chocolates next time
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:23 amThank you, and splendid! There’s some great inspiration here for Xmas presents
belleau kitchen says
August 31, 2013 at 11:57 amA gorgeous collection of choccy treats. Well done for the brilliant round up. Sorry I couldn’t take part this month xx
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:22 amThanks Dom, and no worries – there are plenty of blogging challenges out there to keep one occupied/inspired!
Laura Denman says
August 31, 2013 at 11:33 amSo many lovely ideas here that I’d like to try out. I would definitely give them as presents if I could hold off long enough from eating them! A fantastic challenge and a brilliant round up =)
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:21 amI reckon you’re right – holding back and not eating them all myself would be something I would struggle with! Thank you for your lovely feedback 🙂
Rachel Cotterill says
August 31, 2013 at 11:08 amWow, loads of great ideas here. They all look delicious 🙂
Elizabeth S says
September 6, 2013 at 10:21 amDon’t they! Everyone’s done so well with this challenge theme, I’m delighted!