Place very finely chopped chocolate (it should resemble small shreds) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. The finer the chocolate is chopped, the easier it will melt and the quicker the truffle-making process will go.
In a separate small mixing bowl, add coconut milk and microwave until very warm but not boiling - about 25 seconds (alternatively, heat in a small saucepan over medium heat until just starting to simmer).
Immediately add coconut milk to chocolate (drizzling evenly for even melting) and loosely cover with a cooking lid or plate to trap the heat in. Do not touch for 5 minutes. Then lift cover and use a mixing spoon to gently stir, trying not to incorporate air. Continue stirring until completely melted, creamy, and smooth.
NOTE: If you have unmelted pieces left (usually due to the chocolate not being finely chopped enough), you can microwave the mixture in 5-10-second increments until completely smooth (just be very careful not to overcook or it can affect the integrity of the chocolate, causing separation, oiliness, or graininess).
Add vanilla (optional) at this time and stir.
Set the mixture in the refrigerator to chill uncovered for 1-3 hours*, or until almost completely solid. A good test is dipping a knife into the middle of the bowl to see if any chocolate sticks. If it comes out mostly clean, it’s ready to scoop. If there’s still wet chocolate in the center, continue refrigerating.
Once chilled and firm, prepare a small dish of cocoa or cacao powder (or finely ground hazelnuts) for rolling (optional).
Use a Tablespoon-sized scoop (such as this one from Amazon) or a Tablespoon to scoop out small balls (see photo), then use your hands to gently but quickly roll/form the chocolate into balls. If the mixture has become too firm (crumbles when you try to roll it), let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before trying again.
Toss in cocoa or cacao powder (or finely ground hazelnuts) to coat and shake off excess (or leave bare), then set on a parchment-lined serving dish. Continue until all chocolate is scooped. There should be about 16 truffles (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), depending on the size of your scoop.
If any of the chocolate near the center of the bowl was too soft to form, refrigerate that portion for a bit longer before proceeding.
Enjoy truffles immediately, or refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight. This allows them to set and firm up.
Store truffles covered in the refrigerator for best freshness. To serve, let come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving for optimum creaminess.
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Notes
*The dark chocolate we prefer using is Trader Joe’s 72% cacao dark chocolate pound plus bar, which is vegan friendly. Other brands we've tried with success include: Endangered Species Smooth 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, Chocolove xoxox Rich Dark Chocolate 65%, Equal Exchange 71% Cacao Very Dark, and Hu Kitchen Simple Dark Chocolate 70%. *The higher the percentage of cacao, the richer and more chocolaty the truffles will be. The lower the percentage of cacao, the more sweet the truffles will be. We tested with Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks (52-55% cacao) and they were delicious, but the texture was too soft and the truffles didn't set up properly (due to the lower % cacao/fat content). *Some brands of coconut milk are smooth and creamy, while others are chunky or oily. We highly recommend using a brand that's smooth and creamy for this recipe. *If adjusting the number of servings up or down, the mixture will take more or less time to chill. When making a 1/3 batch, it only took ~45 minutes to solidify (a hack for satisfying the truffle craving faster!). *Using less coconut milk will create a more firm truffle. Using more coconut milk will create a softer, creamier truffle. *If you have any issues with the mixture splitting, it's usually due to overheating the chocolate. Learn more about that here. *Recipe loosely adapted from Oh, Ladycakes. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate.