Chocolate Cherry Bliss Balls

Fudgey and chocolatey, these lovely chocolate cherry bliss balls are a super easy treat to make with leftover almond pulp (or with some almond meal; see recipe notes), and the hidden cherry inside gives these little chocolate bites an unexpected burst of freshness and fruitiness.

I made them at first just using some leftover almond pulp from making homemade almond meal and I really loved the the resulting texture. They're moist and very flavorful. And it's a great way to put that leftover pulp to good use.

And, most importantly somehow brought memories of... erm.. a very odd-sounding, yet extremely delicious dessert my parents used to buy me as a child from a Russian bakery -- "chocolate potatoes."  When asked what kind of dessert I'd like them to bring, these "chocolate potatoes" were always high on the list.

Of course the original dessert had nothing to do with potatoes (as far as I know anyways!) -- it's just traditional a no-bake chocolate pastry shaped like a potato, often coated with a layer of chocolate, and sometimes flavored with a bit of rum (strangely enough rum-flavored candy was my favorite as a child, go figure! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).

Well no potatoes (or rum...) in these cherry chocolate bliss balls here, but something about the texture and moisture of the almond pulp in the making of these little fudge bites really reminded me of those chocolate potatoes. I might play around some day and see if I can recreate a closer mimic of the original. Meantime, these hit the spot well enough :)

Chocolate Cherry Bliss Balls

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• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 5 - 6 balls
• Category: Candy & Fudge
• Method: Raw
• Cuisine: Dessert

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Description

Fudgey and chocolatey, these chocolate cherry bliss balls are a super easy treat to make with leftover almond pulp. Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free.

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Ingredients

Chocolate Balls:

• 6 tbsp almond pulp*
• 3 soft medjool dates
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp almond extract

Filling:

• 3 cherries, pitted and halved

Topping:

• ~1 tablespoon extra cocoa powder for dusting

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Instructions

1. Process all chocolate ball ingredients in a food processor until a fudge-brownie-like dough is formed.

2. Scoop up about a tablespoon and a half of this mixture and roll into a rough ball, then indent it with your fingers to create a little "bowl"-like shape. Place half a cherry inside, then close the "bowl" up and roll the mixture into a ball once again. Set aside, and repeat with the remaining mixture.

3. Refrigerate the balls for about an hour to set. Then dust with the extra cocoa powder (using a sieve) and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge.

Notes

*Leftover from making homemade almond milk. If you prefer, feel free to use store-bought almond meal. You'll likely need to add a bit of water to the mix, since almond pulp is somewhat moist by nature whereas almond meal is dry. Start by blending everything together as per the recipe, and if the mixture seems to dry, add a bit of water, 1 tablespoon at a time and blend once more until the correct consistency is achieved.