random note: {i have been a terrible blogger…i am just going to blame it on moving and move on! i actually made this dessert a few weeks ago and it was amazing!..so i am finally sharing it}
in our csa share a few weeks ago, we got a huge bunch of basil and lots of blueberries. i love basil, but I have been running out of ideas and inspiration on how to use it. i have made enough tomato and basil recipes in the last few weeks! so i went hunting for ideas and absolutely loved the result. it is completely inspired & adapted from two different recipes, from two different indianapolis local bloggers, who i really repect.
The base for the nut truffle was inspired by the recipe from the {summer berry bars} by lindsey at enjoyinghealtlyfoods. i didn’t have any walnuts on hand, so i used pecans, added some vanilla and decided to turn them into individual truffles. the sauce for the topping was based off of {the old-fashioned blueberry-basil preserves} from katy at katyshecooks. her take on lacto-fermented blueberry-basil preserves was very intriguing to me, but I didn’t have any whey (plus, i am dairy-free again) and I didn’t figure fermenting with sea salt would work on this recipe. {maybe it would? maybe it would make it to salty? thinking about trying it…but really i was just impatient and wanted something that evening for dessert}.
the end result, turned out to be these cute little desserts that had an amazing combination of flavors. we will definitely be making these again. the nut truffle bases could handle a bunch of different sauces. I think chocolate and raspberry may be a good combination to try next.
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- 1 cup pecans (i soak, sprout & dehydrate mine)
- ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup almond flour
- 8 dates (pitted & soaked in water for 1 hour)
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp. vanilla (almond extract would work also)
- ……………………
- 2 cups blueberries
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ¼ cup. chopped basil
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- ½tsp. gelatin (or another thickening agent)
- crush pecans in a food processor and then add coconut and almond flour and pulse until desired consistency.
- add in coconut oil, dates and vanilla and process until well incorporated.
- using a ¼ cup cookie baller (big melon baller), scope out nut mixture, pressing each one tightly in scoop.
- place truffles on parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- in a small saucepan cook 1 ½ cup of blueberries, honey & sea salt. bring to a simmer and let reduce down (approx. 5-10 mins).
- allow to cool slightly
- in food-processor add cooked blueberry mixture, remaining blueberries, lemon juice & basil and puree until smooth.
- serve truffles topped with warm blueberry-basil sauce!
shared on: pennywise platter, food renegade, slightly indulgent tuesday, & simple lives thursday
