Fig and Ginger Chocolate Truffles

You should be able to find all these ingredients at Whole Foods. Trader Joe's may carry crystallized/candied ginger as well.

Servings: -18 truffles

Author: Pamela

Ingredients

2 cups unsulphured dried figs or other dried fruit (about 11 ounces), stems removed and discarded
3 Tablespoons crystallized aka candied ginger (about 1 ½ ounces)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon raw honey
zest of 1 small orange optional
5 ounces dark chocolate 70 percent cacao or higher or semisweet chocolate

Instructions

Place the figs, ginger, cinnamon, honey and orange (if using) in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and process until everything is finely chopped and starts to come together.
Take a heaping teaspoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball with your hands (it helps if you hands are a little damp to prevent sticking). Reserve on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet or plate. Repeat with all the mixture. Refrigerate or freeze the balls until cold.
Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, taking care not to allow the bowl to touch the water. Stir the chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Roll the fig balls in the melted chocolate until coated, and remove from the bowl using a fork, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Return each truffle back onto the paper and refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Serve at room temperature. If the chocolate starts to feel soft, keep them refrigerated for up to weeks.

Notes

I used dried Black Mission figs here, but any variety will do. You can pretty much use almost any type of dried fruit as long as it is moist and meaty, like apricots or persimmons.
If you want, after rolling the truffles in chocolate, you can roll them in finely chopped pistachios or top with a pinch of flaky sea salt, orange zest or a thin strip of candied ginger