Chocolate Almond Truffle Pops!

These are easy and elegant and, mmm, chocolatey. The almond extract really compliments the chocolate. They’re also fun and will keep hands mess free at any holiday gathering. I cut some wooden skewers to the size I needed them and used them for the lollipop stick. Full size skewers could be cute, and clean twigs would be whimsical and very low investment, but paper lollipop sticks can be purchased at cake decorating shops. 

ingredients

• 1 cup almonds ($2.00)
• 1 cup raisins ($1.00)
• 1/2 cup cocoa or cacao powder ($1.60)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract ($.10)
• pinch salt

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil ($.30)
• 3 tablespoons powdered palm sugar, or other dry sweetener ($.30)
• 3 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder ($.60)

• a couple tablespoons chopped nuts or seed (I used pumpkin seeds) ($.30)

directions

• In a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process the almonds until coarsely and uniformly ground. 
• Add the raisins, cocoa powder, almond extract, and salt and continue to process until the mixture begins to clump together.
• Divide into about a dozen pieces and roll into balls. 
• Insert stick in top and put in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour. This helps it firm up just a bit.
• Melt the coconut oil, heating just enough to melt and not too hot. 
• Stir together the melted oil with the sugar and cocoa powder. 
• Drizzle the chocolate mix over the top of each truffle pop and add a bit of chopped nuts or seeds to the chocolate before it hardens.
• As a final step, I found it was really convenient and much less messy to put each truffle pop in a mini cupcake paper; then these are virtually mess free.

nutritional information