Date Fudge (and filled chocolates!)

The holidays are filled with indulgence - those decadent truffles, chocolate-hazelnut balls, rich breads, fruitcake and cookies of all kinds are everywhere! While they are delicious and a perfect special-occasion treat, they definitely don't do our bodies any favours... nor do they exactly help our eternal New Years' goals of being healthier and losing weight!

That said, if I had to choose just one indulgence to enjoy over the holidays, it would be chocolate. I am a "dark" lover all the way, so I could justify mowing through a few Ghirardelli Twilight Delight bars over a week or two under the pretense of using them for antioxidant therapy... right? I'm really not a fan of the saccharine milk stuff playing the part of chocolate, so the more plain old cocoa I can finagle into a bar or cake the better. When I finally got around to making this year's batch of filled chocolates (new fillings every year are becoming a signature trend with me), I not only whipped up a batch of Espresso Fudge Filling, but an equally rich, sweet and fudgy filling from Back to Her Roots that just so happens to be sugar free, a source of fruit and other vital micronutrients too!

This creamy, thick spread is perfect for filling cookie sandwiches and layer cakes, spreading onto cupcakes and brownies or even smearing onto a nice grainy piece of toast. With no fat or sugar added, it's surprisingly light for being so lush! To keep with the "healthy" theme I used my favourite stevia sweetened dark chocolate bar for the shell and filled little take-out ketchup cups instead of standard chocolate moulds for more "filling" space. Nobody who tastes the finished product believes its vegan, gluten free, sugar free and made with nature's candy instead of the refined stuff usually found at the store.

Date Fudge
Makes about 1 ½ cups, 24 (1 tbsp) servings (enough filling for 30 truffles)
2 cups Medjool dates, pitted (about 13 oz)
½ cup boiling water
½ cup hot coffee
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp gelatinized (or toasted) maca powder
Pinch salt

1. Place the dates in a blender and cover with the water and coffee. Let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Puree until smooth, then add cocoa, vanilla, maca powder and salt and puree in.
3. Chill at least 2 hours before using, or cover the surface with plastic and freeze up to 3 months.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 48.3
Total Fat: 0.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 0.5 mg
Total Carbs: 12.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
Protein: 0.7 g

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