Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Pecan Pie Truffles


A couple years back, I made these for the first time to substitute for pecan pie at our annual vegan Thanksgiving we host. Now I am not sure if you are familiar with any southern folk, but if there is one thing they take seriously, it is their pecan pie. In Georgia, where I was born, there are many pecan tree groves, and you can buy fresh bags of them on the side of the road. Essentially pecan pie is a Thanksgiving staple down there.

As they were passed around the table, my family each took one with a reluctant look upon their faces. I had made a test batch prior to the meal, so I knew they were amazing. After taking one bite, they all exclaimed, "this tastes EXACTLY like pecan pie." The recipe was requested after a few more truffles were consumed, and no one ever eats only one.

The recipe originates from VegNews, but I've slightly altered the recipe to make it more kid-friendly (ie almond milk instead of bouborn). There are more note-worthy changes in the technique, which I'll share with you below. They sell a eCookbook Holiday Cookie Collection, which contains the original recipe. If you are looking for more ideas, you should check it out. I highly recommend it.



Pecan Pie Truffles

2 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package of Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate


In a food processor, grind up graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Note that 1 packages of Keebler Graham crackers equals about a cup graham cracker crumbs. After they have been ground up, add in the remaining ingredients, mix until well combined. Using a plastic sandwich bag, squeeze the filling into balls about an inch in diameter. Place onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper and put it into the freezer for a 2-4 hours.

Before removing them from the freezer, start melting three-quarters of the chocolate on the stove using a double broiler. I simply heat a small amount of water in a larger sauce pan on medium-low heat, and in a smaller pan nested in the larger one melt the chocolate. DO NOT let water get into your chocolate, as it will seize up. Once it is melted well, take it off of the burner and add the remaining chocolate. This tempers the chocolate so it dries with a nice shiny finish once it dries. Dip the balls into the chocolate to coat them well, then put them back onto the cookie sheet to harden.

Note: you can use chocolate chips, but it is more difficult to get them to temper properly. They will need to be put into the freezer to harden the chocolate or they will take a couple hours to dry.

14 comments:

  1. Yum! I wish pecans weren't so expensive here. :(

    ReplyDelete
  2. About how many truffles does this recipe make?

    ReplyDelete
  3. It makes about 2 dozen, give or take a half dozen - depending on how large you make them. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Did you blend the rest of the ingredients in the food processor with the graham cracker crumbs or just mix them in by hand?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I mix with a spoon, as you don't want the pecans to become nut butter :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. What can I sub for the almond milk?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Any non-dairy beverages would work well: riice milk, soy milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  8. How do you store them and how long do they keep? Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. How much bourban do I sub fot the milk?

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is a wonderful recipe but it was very hard to find! It came in my newsfeed on FB. I clicked on the link and it took me to a blogspot blog that basically copies other people's recipes. It took me FOREVER to find the link to YOUR blog but finally found it and when I clicked, it went to a dead page. I kept at it to find you so I could pin this from the originator's blog. You may not have a problem with someone using your recipes on their own blog but I did want you to know.....here is is: http://myfavoritethings-miranda.blogspot.com/2012/12/pecan-pie-truffles-from-growing-up-veg.html If you don't mind, please accept my apologies and know that this is an amazing recipe that I want to try!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you so much Kelli for letting me know about that. Yes that was stolen and I am looking into it.

    ReplyDelete
  12. lovely i rushed to do it didnt find pecans in my pantry so i used hazelnuts instead it was amazing will post it on my blog and link to you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you liked the recipe and appreciate a link back. Thanks!

      Delete
  13. OH,MY! These couldn't be better!, as I sit here eating my 5th truffle, i realize how i fell in love with them at the start! you have GOT to try these.

    Hannah
    Super deals on iPhone Repair Bellevue

    ReplyDelete