Coffee and Hazelnut Truffles Recipe
A dessert match made in heaven!
If you're a coffee lover like me, you know that hazelnut is coffee's ultimate love team. They seem like a perfect match to me. A delicious pairing that complements each other perfectly. But adding chocolate to it is a different story. Three decadent flavors are combined to create one delectable dessert. I'm sure you'd agree, don't you?
Well, just a background story, I used to work as a barista when I was in my early twenties, simply because I wanted to learn how to make my own coffee concoction at home. And you know what I love the most? When you walk inside a coffee shop, you will be immediately greeted with the warm aroma of coffee and sweet, nutty scents from syrups, especially hazelnut. Coffee became so appealing to me that I also wanted it as a dessert. I was still not very good at baking at the time, so I made simple and, most of the time, no-bake desserts. I came across truffle recipes with a variety of flavors and combinations. And my favorite? --is coffee and hazelnut truffles.
What is Coffee and Hazelnut Truffle
Contrary to the traditional truffle recipe, which is typically made with chocolate bars and cream, this coffee hazelnut truffle version has a different twist as it is made out of hazelnut flour and your favorite coffee concoction. The process is pretty simple. You just have to mix everything all together into one delicious treat. Perfect for snacks, after-meal desserts, or your coffee and tea party with friends.
And if you're considering bringing dessert to your next potluck party, this is a great choice because it's easier to make and requires less work to prepare. So let's get to work! Grab your aprons and get started!
How to make coffee and hazelnut truffles
1. Prepare your coffee concoction by making your own blend. Brew your coffee by using a Moka pot or a French press depending on what is available.
2. When your coffee is ready, pour it into a container and sweeten it with brown sugar to make it less bitter. Set it aside in the fridge to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a food processor, grind the hazelnuts until they are the consistency of flour. A coffee grinder or blender also works fine, but if you prefer less hassle, you can purchase ready-made hazelnut flour available in baking stores.
4. Combine your hazelnut flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and cold coffee brew in a separate bowl. Mix it all together until you form it into a soft dough.
5. Make balls out of your dough mixture by scooping about 1-2 tablespoons. You can adjust the ball size depending on your preference. You can make at least 8-12 small truffles from this batch.
6. Roll your truffle with cocoa powder and place it in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until it is firm enough to bite.
7. When it's done, you may dust it again with some unsweetened cocoa powder and serve it with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Tools
- In making this truffle recipe, you will need a food processor for grinding the hazelnuts.
- Coffee grinders can be used as an alternative if a food processor is not available. However, make sure to adjust the course level so that it is appropriate for this recipe. Blender also works fine.
- For this recipe, mixing bowls made of stainless steel or glass work best because they don't retain odors and are simpler to clean, leaving them less greasy after use.
Notes
- Selecting high-quality ingredients is essential for this recipe to produce a delectable result. There are actually two types of cocoa powder available on the market. The natural cocoa and the Dutch-processed, or as others call it, alkalized cocoa powder. For this recipe, I recommend using the dutch-processed cocoa because it has a more intense chocolate flavor and a darker color giving it a more chocolaty vibe.
- If you want a stronger coffee flavor, add more arabica to the coffee mixture.
- Reduce the water content to make it more concentrated. For a bolder and more potent coffee kick, you could also use an espresso shot instead.
- To add bite and crunch, dredge the truffles in chopped nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, or coffee nibs. Instead of a pure truffle flavor, this will give it a different texture and dimension.
- If you're serving this to kids, cut back on the coffee flavor and up the chocolate. As an alternative, you could dip and drizzle it with melted chocolate or caramel and top it with bright colorful sprinkles.
- In case you have leftovers you may keep the truffles stored in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.