Love Truffle Day

On Valentine's Day 2014, Cooking Club made LOVE TRUFFLES for everyone at CoolTan Arts. They were so popular that the celebration has been renamed as LOVE TRUFFLE DAY.
So...Tuesday group made "Arabian Nights" truffles, exotically flavoured with  natural rose, lemon and cardamon. Thursday group made "Love Action" truffles, a luxurious energy-bomb with pumpkinseeds, cranberries, raw chocolate powder and saffron. 
Both recipes are gluten-free, diabetic-friendly and vegan. Ingredients were chosen for their health benefits as well as harmonious flavours. Both recipes are raw and do not need cooking.
We want to say a massive THANK YOU to our local health food shop G.Baldwin & Co for generously donating the ingredients in our recipes. Find them online at  www.baldwins.co.uk or visit their famous shop at G.Baldwin & Co, 171-173 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RW. 

 "Arabian Nights" Love Truffles
Ingredients:
*3 cups ground organic almonds
*2 tablespoons runny honey
*1 tablespoon rose water
*zest 2 lemons + juice 1 lemon
*2 teaspoons ground cardamon
*1 cup dessicated coconut (as coating)
*a pot of edible glitter (optional decoration)
Method:
*blend all the ingredients - except the dessicated coconut - in a food processor.
*alternatively, mix together well in a bowl with a fork.
*wet your hands to prevent sticking and roll the mixture into small balls. We used a teaspoon to measure the amount of each ball to keep uniformity.
*pour the dessicated coconut into a bowl and roll each ball in it so they are evenly coated.
*place on a plate and sprinkle with edible glitter for extra bling!
*place in a refridgerator for an hour to set. 

Enjoy getting in a real choclatey mess at CoolTan Cooking Club!

A brief summary of health benefits.....Coconut oil for mental health and brain function, Saffron is a natural anti-depressant, Cranberries for female sexual health, Pumpkin seeds for male sexual health, Rose is a natural relaxer and mood- elevator, Almonds contain omega oils for the brain, magnesium and B-Vitamins for a healthy nervous-system, Raw Cacao elevates mood and Lemon takes care of our immune system and has Vitamin C.

"Love Action" truffles
ingredients:
*1  heaped tablespoon raw coconut oil
*1 cup organic pumpkin seeds
*1 cup dried organic cranberries
1 tablespoon Xylitol (natural diabetic sweetener made from Birch bark and found to be beneficial to teeth and gum health
*1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
*a pinch of dried saffron
Method:
*In a Bain-Marie, melt the coconut oil and the saffron together. They will be in a heat-proof bowl inside a larger bowl of boiling water. There will be no need to heat on the hob as the oil will melt into liquid in about 5 minutes
*in a food processor or food mill, blend together  the pumpkin seeds, cranberries, cacao powder and Xylitol until they are finely milled.
*gradually add the liquid coconut oil + saffron and mix well  
*with wet hands, scoop out small balls and either push into little silicon moulds or roll into balls (a teaspoon size) 
*dust the balls in cacao powder and edible glitter and place in a freezer for
Then either.......
*place silicon moulds in the freezer for 10 mins and then push out of the moulds
*place on a plates and prinkle with edible glitter
ENJOY XXXXXX