Tahini-Chocolate Truffles

Diana Saker

My long-time buddy, Diana Saker, and her neighbors host an
annual Christmas ornament- cookie exchange extravaganza. Unfortunately Diana has an intolerance to wheat products, so I try to make flourless sweets
that she could eat and enjoy. I know Diana is a huge fan of hummus, so I
narrowed my search for tahini-based delights. (Last year I made tahini cookies,
but this time around I was looking for something a bit more sinful.)

Tahini-Chocolate Truffles

I came across a sweet treat – more of a candy than a
cookie, actually – called chocolate tahini truffles. I first saw this recipe on
The Art of Armenian and Middle Eastern Cooking’s Facebook page; they found the
recipe by way of Anja’s Food for Thought website, and best of all… no baking
required!


The original recipe called for raisins, dates and agave
syrup which I did not have on hand, so I substituted those with things stocked in
my pantry – currants, dried plums and tamarind syrup. I crossed my fingers and
hoped for the best.

The ingredients I used

Yield: approximately 24 pieces, depending on size

2 cups tahini, (sesame seed paste) well-stirred

3/4 cup currants, plumped in warm water and drained

1/2 cup dried
plums, finely diced

1 tablespoon unsweetened
cocoa powder

Tamarind syrup
(optional)

1.  Combine tahini,
currants, dried plums and cocoa powder in a food processor and blend until
smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time. You
should end up with a workable, not too sticky, ball. Taste mixture for
sweetness. If desired, add tamarind syrup to taste. (NOTE: The currants
and plums aren’t as sweet as raisins and dates, so I added about 1 Tbsp. of the
tamarind syrup.)

(My suggestion:
these are quite rich, so smaller is better!)

4. Place coated truffles in a single layer on a
parchment-lined tray and refrigerate until firm- about 1 hour – before serving.

6. Storage: These keep well in the refrigerator in a tightly
covered container.