Sunday, November 13, 2011

Vegan strawberry white chocolate truffle balls to welcome home my sister

It may not be immediately obvious from my posts, but in addition to a brother 3.25 years my junior, I have a sister who is 7.5 years younger than me.


Having a 7.5 year age gap means that, in the early years, it was like having a baby of my own. Only without the parenting responsibilities and clean up duties.


As she got a little older, I was blessed with a very fun playmate, and as she got older yet, she became a friend for shopping trips, coffee catch ups, and visits to the movies. She has made me laugh until I literally cry, and I have missed her incredibly this year whilst she has been away travelling.


That, of course, is the reason she has not been mentioned over the previous six plus months. She and her boyfriend have been in Europe since May, having an amazing time by all accounts, after much saving and planning and a decision to take time out from university.

They have visited England, Scotland, Wales, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Monaco, Croatia, and Turkey - and quite possible a few other countries I have forgotten. They have walked, bused, trained, flown and now, finally, are landing back in Perth this evening.

I can't wait to see her.

These strawberry white chocolate truffle balls provide a welcome home offering that seems suited to her strawberry and white chocolate tastes. I hope she likes them. From the testing I managed along the way, I can attest that I do!



Strawberry white chocolate truffle balls
Makes ~24 balls
Adapted from these double berry truffle balls and the vegan truffles in The Vegan Table
Vegan if made as below

Ingredients

  • 125g Arnott's Nice biscuits (1/2 a packet), or any plain vegan biscuits
  • 125g soy cream cheese
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 50g dairy-free white chocolate (I managed to find the Sweet William's brand this time)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp strawberry jam or spread - the higher percentage fruit the better
  • Coatings to taste, extra (I used sprinkles, coconut, and a mix of cocoa powder and icing sugar)

Instructions

1. In a food processor, process the Nice biscuits into crumbs, then add the cream cheese and process until the mixture starts to clump together.

2. Add 1/2 cup of the icing sugar, process until smooth, then add the other 1/2 cup and process until smooth.

3. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over a saucepan, in a medium - large heat proof bowl. When melted, add the processed biscuits, cream cheese and icing sugar to the melted chocolate and mix through to combine.

4. Add the vanilla extract and jam and mix thoroughly, until well-combined.

5. Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 1 hour, to allow the mixture to harden. I left mine for 4 hours or so.

6. When the mixture has set, spoon heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls (I rolled mine between my [clean] hands, but if you have a melon scoop that would work well) and then coat in your choice of coatings. 

7. Place on a baking tray and return to the fridge for at least 2 hours to set. 

8. Store in the fridge until eating.

Processed biscuit and cream cheese mixture...



 After adding the icing sugar...



With the melted chocolate, vanilla extract and jam...




Finally, in ball form...





Yum!

Have you had siblings or family members disappear overseas for many months? 

Or do you have a favourite truffle recipe? I'll definitely be trying this cream cheese based one with other flavours!

23 comments:

  1. Truffles make the greatest gifts and snacks for parties.. they're so small and cute, yet rich and delicious.

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  2. My sister was overseas for 7 weeks earlier this year and that was long enough for me. We often email each other during the day and the number of times in those weeks that I wanted to send her a quick comment was huge.

    I'm sure your sister will love those truffels!

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  3. I've never made any truffles using cream cheese, real or soy! So teh soy cream cheese is bearable? It's always scared me a little. How hurrah-ful for your sister to be coming back! I hope the celebration is as wonderful as can be :)

    Oh, and your question? My brother lived in Japan for three years, I went to America for one year, and then travelled again for four months straight. So yes. :P

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  4. I love truffles but have never contemplated these sort - not being a white chocolate sort of girl - but I do love the sound of cream cheese with some white chocolate - sounds like your sister will have lots of wonderful tales - hope you enjoy her homecoming and that she enjoys your truffles

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  5. I'm the family member that has disappeared overseas, for several years. Woops. Though, if my family made vegan white chocolate and strawberry truffles for me, I might try to visit more often!

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  6. Exactly! And perhaps better for gifts and parties than for home, given that small but rich combination :P

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  7. They were quite delicious indeed!

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  8. Yes, overseas emails with delayed replies are just not the same! We also tended to text a fair amount too, when she was here, and that was out when she was overseas.

    But she is neeeeaaarly back now - about 1 hour to go :D

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  9. 3 years?? Wow. Did you visit? (I really hope you visited!)

    I'd never made truffles with cream cheese before either, and I don't like cream cheese (or any cheese) generally speaking. But I was very pleasantly surprised! None of the ingredients appeal to me much on their own, but in combination I was quite taken with them. Perhaps a little too taken, given how full I was after 'cleaning up' the bowls :P

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  10. Thanks Johanna :) I am not a big fan of white chocolate either, but I did like the flavour combination here. The cream cheese aspect was a nice twist too, although they do definitely need to live in the fridge.

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  11. Maybe you need to drop them some hints? :) It would be a win-win situation!

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  12. Oh, I definitely visited! It was the five days I spent traveling by myself on that trip, back when I was 19 I think, that instilled forever my love of travelling and travelling-for-food :)

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  13. These look delicious!

    And enjoy your sister :)

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  14. Ah - brilliant :) That's quite a big solo trip for 19 years, but it sounds like it was a wonderful one!

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  15. It's always been odd to me that people have always made a big fuss of me travelling alone! It's never seemed scary to me. Normal things like relationships, though? Well... ;)

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  16. Kari, these truffle balls look fabulous and so colourful, too. Now how's that for a welcome? She'll be over far more often, I'm sure, after these. What lovely family photos - cuties.

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  17. Thanks Jill :) If truffle balls keep her home, I'll be sure to keep making them!

    I do love looking back over childhood photos, they always bring up such fun memories.

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  18. Such sweet photos Kari. Enjoy your catching up time with your sister now that she is back.
    Two of my family members will be away this Christmas to two different places... there has been a little hmphh-ing on my part.

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  19. These look so good Kari! Love the colourful sprinkles :)
    My sister has been living in Port Hedland for a few years now - it isn't as far as overseas, but sometimes it may as well be! But at least I have a very nice (albeit very hot) place to get away to sometimes.

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  20. That is hard over Christmas - I would be hmphh-ing too I think! And thank you :)

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  21. Thanks Katy! And I agree that far away in Australia may as well be overseas at times - Port Hedland is still a looong way away. Hopefully you manage those hot visits semi-regularly.

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