Orange Rosemary Chocolate Truffles (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Will you be attending a New Years Party with champagne flutes overflowing with sparkling drink and women wandering the house in dresses that swish and lipstick that stains like cherries?
Or will you be staying at home in your bathrobe and slippers with your cat snuggled on your lap rereading Corelli’s Mandolin?
These chocolate orange rosemary truffles are a must. The first layer is made with dark chocolate melted into thick white “cream” that has been infused with the piny scent of rosemary and the bright sparkle of orange zest. Layer number two is a creamy orange ganache flooded with concentrated orange juice flavor. The whole shebang is topped with a thin crackling crust of melted chocolate.
Sweetness to loosen the grip of the Old Year and welcome the bright and shiny newly minted Year.
I paint my truffles with luster dust mixed with vodka (the alcohol evaporates) but there is no need for anything so elaborate. Just make, slice and arrange on a little tray for one or twenty.
There is that moment as the Old Year ends and the New Year begins to pull away from the shore, that moment when one foot is still on the smooth stones of the port but the boat is sailing away. In the boat are my beloveds, all my living beloveds and I need to leap into the small painted New Year’s boat before it gets to far from shore and I fall with a splash into the water.
My legs spread wider and wider and my bare feet grip both the deck of the boat and the shore. The sounds of coaxing voices reach my ears. “Jump! Come with us! ”
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne.
-Robert Burns
I am not ready to add another year’s distance between myself and my parents. I am not ready to add another year of change that they can not be a part of. But time waits for no one. And so, without choice, I make the leap and land in arms that are outstretched and ready to catch me. I settle in between my son and daughter, my husband and friends and we set out towards the dawning year.
Check out my new Aquafaba page! For tips, tricks and to see all of my Aquafabulous recipes.
Meltingly decadent holiday truffles to herald the coming year flavored with rosemary and orange.
- 1 cup dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup non-dairy creamer
- 2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup non-dairy creamer
- 1 3 inch sprig of Rosemary, chopped
- zest from two oranges
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
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I used a 7 X 7 container, lined with cling wrap. If you use a different size your truffles will be taller or shorter but still taste as lovely.
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For layer #1:
Melt 1 cup of dark chocolate in a double boiler. Scald 1/2 cup of non-dairy creamer in a small sauce pan with the salt, orange concentrate and vanilla extract.
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Once the chocolate had melted pour the hot scalded creamer over the chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Stir gently with a dry spoon until fully combined and pour into your chosen mild lined with plastic wrap.
Place in freezer to firm up while you make the next layer.
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Layer #2:
Chop your rosemary and place it in a sauce pan with 1/2 cup of creamer and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Heat on medium and keep it below a simmer for 5 minutes then bring it up to a simmer. Turn off heat and stir in orange zest.
Meanwhile melt 1 cup of chocolate in a double boiler.
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Pour your scalded orange cream mixture over your melted chocolate and let sit two minutes.
Stir together with a dry spoon until combined.
Remove your cooled 1st layer from the freezer and pour the 2nd layer over and smooth the top. Put in fridge or freezer until set.
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Melt your 1/4 cup chocolate with the coconut oil and stir to combine. Pour over the top of your set truffles and smooth with an offset spatula if necessary.
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Place in a cool place to set for 2 hours. If you choose to get all artsy-fartsy and crafty like me then mix a few different colors of food grade luster-dust with clear alcohol until you have a thick wet paint. Now go to town and paint away. I used the colors: Old Gold, Peacock Blue, New Silver and Pink Orchid.
The traditional folk song that Robert Burns based his famous lyrics upon is, to me, even more poignant (translated from the Scots dialect to standard English);
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never thought upon;
The flames of love extinguished,
and fully past and gone:
Is thy sweet heart now grown so cold,
that loving breast of thine;
That thou canst never once reflect
On old long syne [= old long since = days gone by]
I was going to quote the original traditional. I’m so glad you added it.
These look so immensely beautiful!
I am in charge of the New Years Eve dessert. Still haven’t decided upon what I’m going to bring, but this might be one of the winners. Without the artsy touch of paint, though (no idea where to get hold if that around here).
Hi Mirjam, They will look gorgeous without the “artsy” touch. If you wanted to try and paint them then any craft store or cake store would have luster dust. You could place candied orange peel on the top before the chocolate sets, or rose petals, or raspberries.
Hello my little pumpkin. I think I might just make these for a New Years party I’m going to but I’m confused about a couple of ingredients. Is creamer the same as single cream (in the UK we have access to Alpo soy single cream or Oatly oat single cream but double cream or heavy cream as you call it is a real bastard to find). What is orange juice concentrate and why is it frozen??? We only have fresh orange juice available or juice already made from concentrate unless you are talking about a cordial.
I’ll amend the recipe proper. In America there are a few thick, creamy often flavored products available for coffee. While I don’t use them for coffeee I thick they work wonderfully in confections. Plain soy milk works great in this recipe.
LUSCIOUS PHOTOS AND TEXT, AS ALWAYS. YOUR WEBSITE MUST TURN INTO A BEAUTIFUL, COFFEE-TABLE BOOK. RECIPES. TEXT. PHOTOS. ATMOSPHERE. YOU ARE A WONDER OF WONDERS.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ON WE ALL GO!!
ALISON
Let us march boldly towards the New Year with tiny Micah lighting the way.
“We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. But the wine and the song, like the seasons all have gone.”
And unfortunately, so are these truffles.
It was 10:15pm. I was ready to make another voyage to the snack table, but was afraid of being mobbed by old family friends. Though I had to withstand at least 6.5 minutes of small talk and several hugs, I finally stood before the truffle bowl I had sought with a raccoon like intensity. I delicately put one in my mouth. The top layer had the perfect resistance my teeth always seek with such confections, before sinking through luxurious fudge that transcends. I don’t know what it transcends, only that it certainly does. I coyly popped another. And then three. And then there were none.
“And then there were none”, name of your…prom. I am humbled that you forded the white waters and cacophony of humans to eat my treats. Like most food I cook it was made with you in mind.