Fifteen minutes, a few pantry items, and a North Carolina wine are all it takes to make these bite-size treats. They’re almost as easy to make as they are to eat.Created for and published in Our State Magazine February 2015.Gluten Free, depending on aging barrels.
Course Dessert, Sweet Treats
Cuisine American, Southern Desserts
Keyword cherry, chocolate, red wine, shadow springs vineyard, truffles
Author Wendy Perry
Ingredients
2cupsnuts,any kind
pinchsalt,omit if using salted nuts
1cupdried unsweetened cherries
1 ½cupsdates,whole or chopped
¼cupShadow Springs Vineyard Dark Shadow wine
½teaspoonalmond extract
½teaspoonvanilla extract
1cupmini chocolate chips
1cupflaked coconut
Instructions
Place nuts, salt, cherries, dates, wine, and extracts into a food processor. Pulse until fruit is finely chopped. The mixture will be a sticky paste.
Put mixture into a bowl and incorporate chocolate chips by hand. (At this point, the mixture can be kept for several days, covered, in the refrigerator.)
Toast half of the coconut in a nonstick skillet or on a microwave-safe plate. In a small bowl, mix toasted and untoasted coconut flakes together.
Pinch mixture and roll by hand into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in coconut and refrigerate until firm. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Notes
Tip: You can use any single kind of nut, but this is a great recipe to use a mixture of leftover nuts. And although not necessary, toasting them will add another layer of flavor.