Have you ever heard the saying "Art inspires art"? Well in my case it's "Dessert inspires dessert" :)
Sometime back I made these glazed "donut holes" and instantly wanted to make more batches, but with colors. I made some pink with beetroot powder, yellow with turmeric, purple with maqui powder, and then spirulina happened and oh my goodness, I ended up with lovely truffles that really reminded me of jade (a gemstone I absolutely love).
For some reason, although I normally associate gold and red with Chinese New Year colors, these truffles instantly made me think of China since jade is so beloved there, and so I knew they'd be the perfect treat for the occasion.
So while we're talking about colors, one quick little tip on these: more colored powder doesn't mean a prettier color. At all.
I know there's this expectation that if you add more spirulina it will be "greener", but the truth is it turns boggy. You'd think that if you add more turmeric the recipe will be "yellower", but the opposite happens -- it starts turning brown... and not a nice shade of brown either!
You get the idea. Err on the side of "less is more" and only add a tiny pinch more of spice or colorant at a time if needed.
The nice thing about this recipe is that the inside is very flexible... you can use a lot of different fillings. It's the outside that makes it perfect for something Chinese New Year-sy. But as mentioned above, the color can be modified with other berry powders and spices for a variety of occasions.
And they make really delicious little truffles. Chocolate on the inside (I used these chocolate coconut balls). Pretty and yummy glaze on the outside. And no powdered sugar...
So in terms of filling options, you can either go for a recipe of your choice, or something like these chocolate balls (which is what I used), or these hemp truffles, or these coconut snowballs... I like the chocolate spirulina contrast though. Even though you can't taste the spirulina in this, I feel like chocolate is a good accompaniment.
In Chinese culture, jade (the stone) is symbolic of 5 virtues: compassion, wisdom, courage, modesty, and justice, and it is that quality that makes it sacred. I kind of love that representation. A nice benchmark for a new year.
PrintJade Truffles
Beautiful jade colored, glazed dessert balls with chocolate "donut hole" filling. Raw vegan recipe, gluten-free and so pretty. Perfect holiday dessert.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 balls
- Category: Truffles
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Donut Holes:
- Make one batch of these chocolate balls (or see notes above recipe for alternative suggestions)
Jade Glaze:
- 4 tbsp coconut oil, soft but not melted (*see notes)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp raw ground vanilla bean (or extract)
- ⅛ tsp spirulina powder (or another coloring powder, see notes above for options)
Optional Toppings:
- Sprinkle with edible dried rose petals. I also used dark chocolate coated quinoa puffs I had on hand, but cacao nibs can be used instead.
Instructions
- Prepare the truffles as per recipe in the link above. Set them up on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze for 30 mins - 1 hour (ideally use a metal tray / small metal baking sheet as it will chill more thoroughly and make the next steps more efficient). The balls should be cold to the touch in order for the glaze to set properly.
- When ready to glaze, prepare the glaze by mixing the glaze ingredients in a small bowl with a fork until combined (see notes below regarding the right coconut oil consistency first).
- For glazing, remove the tray from the freezer. Place a ball on the surface of a fork and dunk into the glaze, roll around to coat. Lift the ball out, wiping the bottom of the fork tines on the edge of the bowl to remove excess glaze from the ball (see notes), and set the glazed ball back on the chilled parchment-lined tray. Repeat with the remaining balls. Note, if you've got a large batch to work through, you may want to separate the balls onto several metal trays and keep them frozen, with the exception of the batch you are working with to ensure the glaze sets easily (the glaze sets when it comes into contact with cold). Optional: sprinkle with petals or cacao nibs, etc. at this stage to decorate.
- Once you're finished glazing all the balls, return the trays to the freezer for 20 mins to fully set. Enjoy! Keep leftovers refrigerated or frozen until serving.
Notes
*The coconut oil needs to be at the right consistency for the recipe to work. It has to be softened, but not melted or hot in any way. If it's fully melted (i.e. a runny liquid), it will separate from the maple syrup as you try to mix. The correct color should be white (not clear), and the texture should resemble applesauce (not thin like a cooking oil).
** If you need more tips on how to wipe off excess glaze from your balls most efficiently, without spoiling the look of the balls, there's a video demo available in the Unconventional Treats book & video pack.
*** Note: the basic premise in this recipe is that the glaze sets when it comes into contact with something cold (because coconut oil gets liquid when hot and solid when chilled). This is the reason for freezing the balls first. Likewise, having a chilled tray to set the glazed balls on helps the glaze not to spread out onto the tray, but instead set upon contact with the cold tray. Having the tray lined with parchment paper first will ensure an easy separation from the tray.
Rosenoisettes says
Oh my! Those truffles look so tasty and delicious!
Audrey says
Thanks very much :)
Ginger Wroot says
What beautiful little pieces of edible art! I've been meaning to order some spirulina...I think your recipe will push me over to actually doing so. Gorgeous photography and styling, my dear! --G
★★★★★
Audrey says
I love spirulina as a natural colorant -- a tiny pinch goes a long way and it creates such pretty shades. Have fun! :)
Soni gupta says
Hi Audrey, these look AMAZING! Where can I buy the powders from for the colors?
Audrey says
Hi Soni. I buy my powders from a variety of sources. Online I like to shop on iherb.com or amazon for most of them. In person, nearly every health food shop carries spirulina (which is what I used here), turmeric (also in grocery stores; for yellow), and even beetroot powder or cranberry powder, etc. (though those can be a little more rare -- look in supplements section; for pink).
Johanne says
Ethereal beauties. Ephemeral as they will not last long.
★★★★★
Audrey says
That made me smile :) Thank you!
Rosie says
These really are the colour of jade! Looks stunning in contrast to that rich looking filling - mm, I can't wait to try these!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Rosie :) Hope you like them.
Natalia says
I am in love with that glaze! have never tried to make 'glaze' using coconut oil, but i think it makes miracles.. can't wait to experiment a little bit! Thank you, Audrey, for this lovely post!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Happy this inspired some ideas :) I was surprised myself that I haven't done this sooner -- it's so simple. And I like the color option.