First, an apology for posting a healthy recipe in December. Healthy is not a word people like to hear around the holidays. Holidays are for treating each other and ourselves. Indulgences. Healthy is for January, when the binging and splurging is over and we are faced with the results of our excesses, in the form of a belt that has become just a bit too tight or a bathroom scale telling us horrible truths we’d rather not know.
But what would you say if I told you that I found a treat, a sweet, an indulgence that tastes rich, naughty and sinful but is actually quite healthy? Something you can have throughout the holidays, safe in the knowledge that it will not lead to tears in the new year?
And the bonus? They’re incredibly easy to make. So easy, in fact, that you’ll be tempted to make them for everyone you know and give them away as Xmas gifts. And hey, why not?
Fig truffles. Now, you may have noticed that date balls/truffles have made a clean sweep of the food blogosphere, so this is definitely not an original idea. In fact, I specifically saw something similar on a fellow blogger’s site but have shamefully forgotten whose blog it was! (If it was yours, please leave me a note so I can credit you and include a link to your version.) But I did, of course, put my own twist on the idea by using dried figs instead of dates, and injecting them with distinctly Mediterranean flavours.
Instead of adding sugar, syrup or chocolate, as most similar recipes do, I pumped them up with orange blossom water, orange zest and cinnamon. The taste will remind you of a cross between fig newtons and baklava, only less sweet and with the added bonus of being guilt-free.
Truffles may be rather a decadent name for something that’s healthy but, when I called them Fig Balls, Hubby snorted and told me to think of a better name. And honestly, which would you rather get for Christmas? Balls or truffles?
| Fig Truffles |
From:
Makes approx. 12 large truffles
What You Need
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely ground
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup dried figs (about 10), stems removed
- 1 Tbsp orange blossom water
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- Splash of olive (or canola) oil for greasing your hands
What You Do
- Put half the ground walnuts and all the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blitz until it forms a smooth paste. (You may need to add more orange blossom water if your figs were larger or drier than mine were.)
- Grease your hands with the olive oil and roll the paste into small balls.
- Roll the balls in the remaining ground walnuts.
Notes for Next Time
1. Make these for grown-ups by substituting Cointreau (or similar orange liqueur) for half the orange blossom water.
2. Mix up the flavours and try different coatings such as unsweetened cocoa powder or dried coconut.
3. These will keep for a long time, since the only fresh ingredient is the orange zest, but I haven’t had to put them to the test since they get eaten fairly quickly. I’d say if you’re going to keep them for longer than a week, refrigerate them to be safe.
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14 Responses to Fig Truffles
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Your first paragraph made me LOL! I think we need to hide the bathroom scales under the bed until after January when we have had something to do something about the weight gain. These truffles sound amazing! Rolling them in ground walnuts is a great idea!
Oops…I mean sometime to do something about the weight gain
Balls or truffles whatever the name, these look simply delicious and I like the idea of mixing in a gult free treat with all the decadent ones.
Amazing recipe! A wonderful recipe for gift giving!
these are definitely worthy of the truffle moniker — balls just don’t do them justice!
Theresa
I much prefer figs to dates and these do sound decadent…nice that we will not be crying too much after the holidays
I absolutely love this idea!! Figs are so tasty and this would make a perfect holiday gift.
Would almonds also work ?
Mel, I assume you mean instead of the walnuts and yes, I think most nuts would be fine. The trick with almonds is to grind them fine enough so you don’t have any sharp chunks, because they can be quite hard.
YUM! These sound so delicious. I can’t wait to try them out as a finger food at my next party.
delicious truffles look wonderful
I have never cooked with blossom water…where do you get it?
Tiffany, I buy mine at the Middle Eastern markets, where it’s called ‘Ma’zahr’. I don’t know where you’re writing from, but if you don’t have a Middle Eastern shop nearby, try using orange juice instead, or an orange liqueur.
Amazing and delicious. look so wonderful!