Oat Crusted Hazelnut Truffles

I'm a real fan of making bites that taste indulgent but are actually healthy. Case in point, my Date Pecan Coffee Balls. Freh dates are one of the true loves of my life.

My incredibly talented friend, Hannah, is the Queen of delicious bites, and always inspires me to get creative with said bites in my kitchen (see these links for examples of Hannah's scrumptious creations! 1, 2, 3).

Please note that I'm saying "bites" even though we all know they're balls. Because really, who wants to say, "would you like to try my balls"? Yeah, I said it. So we're calling them "bites", ok? Or in this case, "Truffles". Oooooooh, now doesn't that sound fancy?

.....

I created these Truffles while hanging out with my younger brother, Jackson, one Friday. I was working from home (snap), and because he's a hard working *cough, cough* Uni student, he had the chance to join me for a lunch-time catch up. I made Tuna Salad, we chatted about life and watched a little Seinfeld whilst I worked on recipe nutrition analysis. It was nice.

And then, all of a sudden, it was time for something sweet.

I had been wanting to create a recipe for Melrose using Melrose’s 100% Hazelnut Spread for a while. It smells divine, like Nutella but it is far superior in terms of nutrient profile. And so I fashioned these Truffles. What can I say, I had a vision. An oat crusted, maple syrup-infused vision.

It worked. Especially the delightful sprinkle of sea salt over the top.

Jackson and I ate a couple of Truffles each for afternoon tea.

And then I did a happy dance.

Oat Crusted Hazelnut Truffles

Makes 8 truffles

This recipe requires a blender.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (30g) Rolled Oats
3 teaspoons Pure Maple Syrup
2 heaped tablespoons Melrose 100% Hazelnut Spread
2 level tablespoons (30g) Almond Meal
Sea Salt

Method
1. Place the oats in a hand blender and pulse a few times until crumbly (don’t over blend them, you don’t want them to become a flour).
2. Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. Toast the oat crumbles until lightly golden and fragrant.
3. Turn off the heat and then add 1 teaspoon of maple syrup to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon through the oats until evenly distributed. The oats will clump slightly. Leave in the pan and set aside.
4. Place the hazelnut butter and 1 tablespoon of almond meal in a blender, and blend for ~10 seconds. Add another tablespoon of almond meal and blend again for the same. Add 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and pulse until incorporated. Remove the blade from the blender.
5. Moisten your hands slightly with water. Grab a portion of the mixture – keeping in mind it should make ~8 even-sized balls. Roll it in your palms until smooth and then add it to the oat crumbles in the pan. You will need to press down to get the oats to stick and create an even coating across the ball. You will need to be a little firm and mould it into a ball again with your hands. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining hazelnut mixture.
6. Lightly sprinkle the truffle balls with sea salt and then pop in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the freezer once chilled and serve.

You can keep these in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two days - keeping in mind that they will dry out the longer you keep them. Best to enjoy them straight away with friends! And then do a happy dance.

Heidi xo