Green Tea & Coconut Truffles

Confession: I don’t really think this recipe has anything to do with Cypriot food. It’s not remotely related. All of my posts relate to Cyprus cooking in some way – using local ingredients, using hard-to-find local ingredients and explaining where to find them, traditional Cypriot recipes, traditional Cypriot recipes with an international touch, etc. But, this? This was just me wanting to use up the white chocolate and matcha powder I had sitting in my cupboard before they both expired. I thought to combine them into a truffle, but instead of using butter I wanted to try an insert an element of healthy-ness. I thought coconut would go nicely.

So I set to work. It’s not really much work though as most of the “work” is done in the freezer. This was my first time making white chocolate truffles … with coconut. One thing that is a bit tricky about these truffles is the mixing stage. For some reason, when I began combining the melted chocolate with the coconut mixture, it just seemed to turn into a curdled mess. But I added a little warm water – which I didn’t think would help – but it did. The mixture came together nicely after that – almost like a very pliable caramel.

These truffles are very decadent. You probably need a sweet tooth to appreciate them, as the white chocolate is quite sweet. The matcha powder I used, was also “sweetened” matcha powder, so these made for some quick energy boosting truffles. I am sure you can find unsweetened “matcha” powder too, and I think the combination of a little bitterness might be welcome in this recipe, but don’t worry if you all you have is sweetened “matcha” powder. They still taste good. In Cyprus, your best bet to find “matcha” powder in Cyprus is to go to an organic store as I have not seen it elsewhere. If you are a fan of coconut and white chocolate, I think you will appreciate these truffles. The taste of green tea is very subtle – if at all. The dominant flavour is the coconut and the sweetness of the white chocolate. I kept these in the freezer until I was ready to eat them. They thaw out pretty quickly – I’d say they are best eaten within a half hour out of the fridge otherwise they melt. Also, if you like truffles, you may also be interested in the “mocha truffles with Cyprus coffee” I posted earlier, which you can find here. PS the “yellow” powder you see in the photos? That’s bee pollen. It was an attempt to make these “healthier”, but it isn’t necessary!