When I was a child, we used to visit my father's friend who loved books, loved reading and writing essays, and that is actually the person who gifted me my first cookbook. As you can imagine, I have very fond memories of him and his family. But one thing that stands out as an incredibly sweet memory is us visiting and his wife bringing out a platter of truffles.
I was very young and my tiny logic was that truffles are something you only get to have around holidays and at others' houses, because my mother still to this day does not enjoy making sweets. So imagine my surprise to see a whole platter of various truffles, all homemade. That was a revelation for tiny Tina. And as you can tell, the love I have for sitni kolači, truffles and bonbons, predates my attempts of making them.
I simply love them. They are incredibly easy to prepare, very forgiving, great for beginner bakers, and they are always the first thing to disappear from the platter. And these maple pecan truffles are no different. Toasted pecans, sweet, caramel-like maple syrup, a tiny bit of walnut liqueur, and some vegan milk chocolate on top, for good measure. Little bites of true indulgence.
My advice about making this specific type of truffles is to stay open when it comes to texture. They are not the typical chocolate-and-cream truffles, they are biscuit-based, and you can absolutely adjust them to your preferences by adding more or less liquid. Considering there are no granulated sweeteners used, only liquid, if you aren't entirely confident when making them, start with a teaspoon of liqueur, and add more as needed. Keep in mind that if you make them soft, they will become soft when not refrigerated. And in this particular recipe, because they are not fully enrobed, they might be difficult to serve if too soft.
Ingredients
100 grams vegan vanilla biscuits, finely ground
90 grams toasted pecans, finely ground
90 grams vegan block butter, melted
1 tablespoon walnut liqueur, vegan
45 millilitres maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50 grams vegan milk chocolate, for the decoration
Preparation
Whisk together the ground vegan biscuits and ground pecans, and make a well in the centre. Pour in the melted vegan block butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and walnut liqueur, and start stirring immediately. Mix and fold until a batter forms.
Depending on the biscuits used, you may have to add another splash of liqueur for the batter to come together. Soy or almond milk will also work perfectly if you do not want to use alcohol.
Once combined, let it cool down a bit, so it can be shaped into truffles. Either leave it for 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator or up to 15 minutes at room temperature, provided your kitchen is not very warm. Take out small portions of the batter, around 15 grams per truffle, shape them and arrange them on a small tray lined with baking parchment. Place them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
When ready to decorate, melt the vegan milk chocolate over low heat and let it cool down slightly. Decorate the tops of all the truffles and sprinkle with some additional chopped pecans or chocolate shavings. Keep refrigerated until serving. Yields 20-22 small truffles.
