Pumpkin Pie . . . Truffles Part II

Did I really say that I was going to post this recipe early last week? Really?

Ok, well time got away from me a bit and I decided that I needed to give this recipe a second go-round because it wasn’t really as simple as it could be. For the first recipe I made a caramel sauce and used that to sweeten the pumpkin filling, but the result didn’t taste any different that it would have if I’d just used sugar. I also baked the first batch of filling to firm it up in the hopes that I wouldn’t have to freeze the centers but that ended up being inevitable. My boyfriend also suggested that I add a crust element and since that thought had already crossed my mind more than once, I figured it had to be done.

lotsa truffles

So without further ado, here is a truly simple pumpkin filling that you can dip in chocolate and call a truffle. However I must include a disclaimer: This recipe probably makes enough for around 40 1 oz. truffle centers. Personally, there’s only so much chocolate dipping that I can handle and I didn’t get that far. If you actually want to make that many truffles, or if you don’t mind having some extra pumpkin filling to use in other things (pancakes or cookies anyone?) then go ahead and make the whole batch. Otherwise I recommend making just a half batch. I should also note that this pumpkin filling turned out a bit less orangy than the filling you see in the pic from my last post.

Pumpkin Pie . . . Truffles

1 29 oz. can of pumpkin puree

1 c powdered sugar

1/2 c vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)

2 T cinnamon

1 1/2 t nutmeg

1 t ginger

1 t salt

1. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly until creamy.
2. Cool in fridge for approximately 20 minutes (This will make it much easier to scoop the centers)
3. Use an 1 oz. ice cream scoop to form the centers.
4. Freeze the centers until firm, dip into your favorite melted vegan chocolate and decorate as you please.

a tale of two truffles

If you’re feeling ambitious or if you don’t like your pumpkin without some crust, the following works pretty well, but it’s recommended that you make the crust first so you can scoop the centers right onto the crust and then freeze them together.

Pumpkin Truffle Crust a.k.a. Pecan Strusel

1 c toasted pecans

3 T brown sugar

1/4 cup spelt

2 T flax meal

1 oz butter

1. Process pecans in your food processor until you’ve got some fine crumbs
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture starts to come together.
3. Form the mixture into a thin disk and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
4. Use a cookie cutter to cut out rounds the same size as your truffle centers.
5. Place your freshly scooped truffle centers on top of the rounds and freeze.
6. You know the rest.