For the Love of it

Almost 1 week ago I completed another 10km race as part of the Dubai Marathon.  It was a great morning with more than 10,000 people competing in the 10km run and a few thousand amazing people challenging themselves in the 42km marathon.  I beat my previous time and got under my target time so I’m quite happy about that.  The most nervous part of the race was making sure I ran a good time but also in the back of my mind was the fact that in 2 weeks I have to run a half marathon that I signed up for in a moment of weakness!!!

I love many things; my family, food, flowers…and I love exercising and doing sports, until recently this excluded running! However, after almost 5 months of dedicating all of my fitness time to running I am still undecided about if I LOVE it.  I love the feeling of completing a big run (tomorrow I run 16km as part of my training eek!), I love the sense of accomplishment and I love the fact that on a big run I put my headphones on and I have a couple of hours just me, myself and I!  So if that all totals a love of running then I guess I do!!

In the spirit of LOVE I guess we should not ignore the fact that the day of celebrating love is just around the corner.  In fact Valentines Day is the day before my biggest race ever (I can’t say I will be saying I love running then – the nerves seem to get the better of me pre race day!)

Truffles are a fabulous gift to let someone know you are thinking of them.  They are delicious and most importantly they are hand made.  I have been trialling chocolate truffles for a while and I have to say the Nigel Slater’s recipe is the perfect base and then you can add whatever flavours you like to suit your taste.  I prefer to use the blocks of Lindt 70% chocolate and I also think using the best cocoa is important.

I will add a simple recipe below but I also want to share a delicious and healthier alternative seeing as I am currently in search of whatever food will give me the most energy for my running.  Date truffles are sooooo good, it is even difficult to taste that there is only cocoa for the chocolate flavour and the ingredients are all packed with nutrients and energy so are a great snack for the afternoon if you are craving something sweet or after dinner (I always need something sweet to finish a meal!).

To wrap as a gift, you could just pop the truffles into a celophane bag and tie a ribbon or buy a box an put the truffles in little paper cases.  Something different is a beautiful piece of linen tied up with a bow.  One of my favourite online stores here in Dubai is Little Majlis which sells all things unique and lovely including linen.  The date truffles also is a nod to where I am living and we do have access to many date varieties.  However one variety which I would recommend for this recipe is Medjool (one of which we dont get regularly here!) as they are big and juicy.  For any others that may be a little dry, just soak in a little water or orange juice for an hour.

Date Truffles

Makes about 20 truffles

Ingredients

• 1packed cup of pitted dates, preferably Medjool
• 1/2 cup prunes (for added richness, substitute with more dates if you wish)
• 1/4 cup good quality cocoa
• 1/3 cup almond butter (peanut butter is fine too)
• 1/3 cup powdered / dessicated coconut
• 1/4 cup agave syrup, honey or maple syrup
• pinch cinnamon

To coat (options) and about half a cup for 1 batch

• Cocoa powder
• Coconut
• Chopped Almonds

To Make

1. Add dates and prunes to a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add remaining ingredients and whizz up again until a thick paste forms.  This will different for every batch so adjust the consistency using more cocoa and coconut or water depending on whether it is too dry or wet.
3. The paste should be soft and sticky like playdough and cover with cling film and allow to firm up in the fridge for a few hours, overnight is best.
4. Prepare your coatings of your choice in little bowls.
5. Take a teaspoon size of the truffle mix and roll roughly into a ball and then toss in the coating (I used cocoa and coconut).  Melon baller is a great tool for this.

Spiced Chocolate Truffles

Makes about 20 truffles

Ingredients

• 225g very good quality dark chocolate ( I used 1 block each of 70% Lindt and 1 Chilli Lindt)
• 135ml double cream (heavy or thickened depending on where you are from)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 vanilla bean split

To coat (options) and about half a cup for 1 batch

• Cocoa powder
• Chopped pistachios

To Make

1. Finely chop the chocolate in to shards
2. Place the spices into a small saucepan with the cream and heat until it just reaches a boil.  Strain to remove the bits.
3. Quickly put half the chocolate into the cream mix and stir until melted, then adde the next batch.  If the cream cools it will seize a little so place back on the pan for a minute until it melts and is runny.
4. Place the mix in the fridge to cool completely and firm up for a couple of hours or overnight is fine too.
5. Using a teaspoon or melon baller take a small amount of the mix and roll into a ball before rolling in the pistachios.  If I am rolling in cocoas I like to just take a chunk of chocolate mix and toss in the cocoa to make a very rough looking truffle.
6. That’s it! Enjoy!

P S- I have made many varieties of the chocolate version and I just substitute the 2nd block of Lindt for a different flavour such as Mint or Orange.  If you want to just using plain dark chocolate try adding a tablespoon of instant espresso to the mix – yummo!

P P S- The photos are both of the date truffles and the chocolate ones, and the finished truffles show the dates truffles coated in cocoa and coconut and the chocolate truffles just in pistachio.