Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

Do you ever make a recipe and not until it’s baked do you realise you’ve missed an ingredient? Yeah, me neither! Oh, I do it all the time lately. I think I’m pretty smart and remember the recipe off by heart by I’m not really that smart at the end of the day. Must be old age creeping in I think. I’m reminded all the time that I should always refer to the recipe and not second guess. That’s how these Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles came about. By accident.

I make this ‘crazy’ cake recipe ALL the time and I mean all the time. This particular time I made a banana cake but forgot the sugar! Like seriously! Anyway, it tasted kind of okay but just wasn’t as good as it should’ve been but I couldn’t waste it. I wanted to turn it into truffles and I nearly always have Nutella in the pantry and I had hazelnuts as well so that’s what I decided on turning this sugar-less cake into.

Break up the cake into chunks and blitz until fine crumbs form.

Add the flavouring of your choice. I had added chopped and ground hazelnuts, 1/4 cup cocoa and about 1/2 cup of Nutella. You’ll find, as you’re mixing it, whether it needs to be more dry or more http://www.homedatingnetwork.com/member/blog_post_view.php?postId=278613 wet. I’d rather add less ‘wet’ ingredients from the start, like the Nutella, so you’re not left with a really wet mixture and it’s hard to form into balls.

The mixture should be the same consistency as a meatball, I guess which will allow you to form quite firm balls. Using an ice cream scoop or just a spoon, scoop mixture into your hand and form into a ‘ball’ shape.

Set on a tray and refrigerate until firm, approximately 30 minutes.

You can eat them like that or dip them completely in melted chocolate or just drizzle a little chocolate on top, which is what I did. You don’t need to use too much chocolate that way.

I find the messier the better. Return to the refrigerator until chocolate has set.

And that’s it. You can do this with any cake, store bought or home made. If your cake is starting to get a little stale, this recipe is perfect. You can add any kind of nuts, dried fruit, nut spread, melted chocolate. Just remember, you’re aiming at getting the consistency of a meatball and you can have any flavoured truffle. It’s a great way to use up cake and they look a little fancy for a special occasion. They freeze well too.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

A delicious way to use up leftover cake (or a cake that hasn't gone quite to plan, as was the case with me) and turn it into something a little more decadent.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 18

Author Anne

Ingredients

• cooked cake approximately 1 cake or adjust the other ingredients to the amount of cake you have left
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup ground hazelnuts optional
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• chocolate melted (for drizzling or dipping truffle into)

Instructions

1. Blitz cake until fine crumbs are formed.
2. Add cocoa, Nutella, chopped and ground hazelnuts and mix well.
3. Mixture should be the same consistency as if you were making meat balls.
4. Using a small ice cream scoop or spoon, take mixture and roll between hands until a ball shape is formed.
5. Set on a tray lined with baking paper and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. Melt chocolate by breaking up into pieces and put in the microwave for 30 second increments until melted.
7. Using a fork, take chocolate and 'drizzle' onto truffles.
8. Return to the refrigerator until chocolate has set.
9. Suitable to freeze.

Recipe Notes

Any kind of cake can be used.
I used a banana cake for this recipe.
Any ingredients can be used, eg dried fruit, chopped candy bars, nuts and a binding ingredient like nut pastes or melted chocolate.

 

{Weetbix} Chocolate Truffles

Here in Australia, we have a Christmas tradition where we make what’s called “Rum Balls” (they look like those in the picture above). If you look at an old recipe for Rum Balls you’ll find that they are made with crushed Weetbix (*), cocoa, coconut, condensed milk, mixed fruit and rum. Usually lots of rum. You’ll find them on every Christmas food table in just about every house in Australia or put in an old glass coffee jar, wrapped in cellophane for a friend or neighbour as a gift. These chocolate truffles I make are exactly the same but with NO rum and are an excellent way to use up Weetbix.

These make an excellent lunch box or after school treat for the kids (without the rum of course) and are really easy for the kids to make. I can remember helping Mum make the rum balls every year. I was never a fan of rum all my life but somehow we all used eat those rum soaked treats even as children, I think? Maybe I was drunk on the fumes.  I used the 99% fat free condensed milk so even I  can enjoy them. (Who am I kidding? I’ll eat them full of fat or fat free!)

Once the ingredients are mixed together, I like to leave it sit for a while so the Weetbix crumbs soak up all the moisture. It can get a bit messy when you’re rolling the mixture but its a lot of fun and you make heaps in next to no time.

Once rolled into a ball, roll in more coconut and your done. Store in the fridge until required. (These might just go on the teacher’s present list for Christmas this year, with the rum. They’ll probably need it after dealing with my two children all year!)

{Weetbix} Chocolate Truffles

• 8 Weetbix, crushed
• 2 tbs cocoa
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1 x 395gm tin condensed milk
• 1 cup dried fruit of any kind (optional – I added a handful of tiny chocolate chips)

1. Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine well. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes for moisture to be soaked up by condensed milk.
2. Take small bits of mixture and roll into a ball.
3. Roll into coconut.
4. Store in fridge until required.
5. Makes approx 20 balls.

(*) In the USA, Wheaties or Bran Flakes are a suitable substitute.