Vegan Earl Grey Truffles

1 can Coconut Milk

14 oz Dark Chocolate, high quality (70% or so)

10 tea bags or more, Earl Grey Tea (~ 30 grams of tea)

8 oz additional Dark Chocolate

1 tsp Orange Oil

Lollipop Sticks

Paper Candy Cups

Directions

Break or chop 14 oz of the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl.

Bring the coconut milk to a light boil and place 10 tea bags into the pot. If there are strings, cut them off or keep them outside the pot. Steep the tea in the boiling milk for 2-3 minutes and use a potato masher to gently squeeze the tea from the bags into the milk. After the tea bags are squeezed of all flavor you can get out of them, gently squeeze the tea bags again up and against the side of the pot to remove what coconut milk you can salvage and discard the tea bags.

Bring the coconut milk to a faster boil. This won’t take but a few seconds… Pour the boiling coconut milk over the chocolate in the large bowl and keep stirring until all of thechocolate has melted and the batter is smooth.

This will be the base for your Earl Grey Truffle. Thicken the creamy ganache by whisking it, or putting it into the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes or just until it is thick enough to form truffle balls using two spoons or your hands, or other spherical device. Shape into smooth round balls and put them on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper and place your lollipop sticks into the centers.

The basic ganache will be sticky and wet but dries quickly! Don’t let it cool too long if putting it in the refrigerator! I panicked because these dried faster than I could shape them nicely, then I realized if you put them back in your hand and roll, the heat from your hand melts them again just enough to re-shape them perfectly!

Last Step

In a double boiler, melt the remaining 8 oz of chocolate and add the orange oil extract. Dip and roll your truffle into this melted mixture and place to dry on parchment or wax paper. When your truffles are dry, you can place them in colorful candy cups for a cute presentation.

*Note: These truffles have just a hint of Earl Grey. If you want them stronger, use more tea bags and more coconut milk, maybe 4-5  oz or more. The tea bags soak up and remove a lot of the coconut milk and you want to be sure you end up with 1 Cup for melting your chocolate.

Variations

You could skip this last step and roll your Earl Grey truffle into powdered sugar or a good cocoa powder (which will add a bitter flavor) when its still warm from rolling in your hands and then place them in the candy cups.  If you go this route try adding the orange oil to the main truffle recipe if you still want the hint of orange with your Earl Grey

Dip into the melted chocolate and then into crushed nuts

Tofu & Vegetable Stir-Fry

TOFU & MARINADE

• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon mirin or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

SAUCE

• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin or sherry
• 2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce (I used Thai Chili sauce)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

VEGETABLES

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 pounds bok choy, trimmed and very coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed

PREPARATION

1. To prepare tofu & marinade: Fold a clean kitchen towel and place it on a cutting board or large plate. Set tofu on the towel. Put another folded clean towel over the tofu and place a flat, heavy weight (such as a skillet) on top; drain for 30 minutes.
2. Combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, mirin (or sherry), chile-garlic sauce and sesame oil in a bowl. Cut the drained tofu into 1-inch cubes. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. To prepare sauce: Whisk water (or broth), soy sauce, mirin (or sherry), chile-garlic sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. To stir-fry tofu & vegetables: Toss the tofu with sesame seeds in a large bowl. Heat 1 teaspoons peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and cook, turning often, until golden and crusty, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
5. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoons peanut oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, bell pepper, scallions and snow peas; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Make a well in the vegetables; whisk the reserved sauce and add to the center of the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring, until thickened. Toss the vegetables with the sauce. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl and top with the tofu.