If you will recall, a year ago I made a vegan version of Fererro Rochers and added them to the bake shop site for V-Day. I thought about doing them again for this year’s V-Day, but honestly they are just too labor-intensive for me to handle this year. So instead, I’ve decided to share the recipe so you can make it yo-self! It actually does not require many ingredients, but it does take some of time and extra effort to package ‘em up all pretty. But in the end, when you peel away the wrapping and bite into the truffle and get transported to chocolate-hazelnut heaven, it shall be all worth it. And you’ll feel positively proud of yourself for doing something so spectacular.

They aren’t exactly like Fererro Rochers because they don’t have quite the same texture, especially when it comes to the crispy wafer layer. I used crunchy, sweetened rice crispie pieces called ‘rice croquant’ that I bought at Bangsan market, but you could use cereal or crushed vegan wafer cookies too. Sorry my directions might not be very clear… I made these a year ago and the recipe I scribbled down is not very detailed. But fear not, I think these are pretty hard to mess up. Hope you enjoy!

Vegan Hazelnut Truffles

300g vegan dark chocolate
160g soy milk, organic
10g hazelnut extract
6g vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate (for coating)
about 1 cup whole, roasted hazelnuts (sorry, I forgot to measure the exact amount… just as long as you have enough hazelnuts for all the chocolate)
about 1 cup of puffed rice sprinkles (aka croquant. Or rice crispies/wafers, any crushed up crunchy/crispy cookie will probably work fine)

1. In a double boiler, heat the 300g of dark chocolate, soy milk and extracts, until everything is melted and mixed together. Let chocolate mixture cool down in the fridge for about an hour (or you could just leave it at room temp).

2. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled in the fridge, take out and begin making your truffles! Have all your ingredients ready, and a clean working space with parchment paper laid out.

3. Using a teaspoon, scoop out some of the chocolate ‘batter,’ push a hazelnut into it and then form the chocolate into a ball around it. Your palms will get chocolatey and messy, but worse things could happen.

4. Next, press and roll the chocolate balls into the crunchy puffed rice pieces until they are well-covered.

5. Melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler (or microwave) and roll each ball in the chocolate.

6. Using a chocolate dipping tool, scoop out the ball and gently tap it along the side so that the excess chocolate drips off.

7. Place on to parchment paper and continue with the rest of the truffle balls. Leave to cool at room temp or in the fridge.

Waiting for the chocolate to harden is a brutal test of patience because you just want to start eating them. Unless you’re like me and just gobble a few while they’re still gooey.

Once the chocolate coating is fully dried, you can just leave the truffles naked and enjoy them as is. Or you could go for the ultimate rocher experience and wrap your truffles up just like the original. For those in Korea, you can get these square pieces of foil at Bangsan market in various colors.

I went with red since it was valentine’s day. :)

Using a tiny dollop of elmers glue, stick the bottom of the rocher to mini paper liner cups and leave to fully dry (at least an hour).

And the final touch: place a small sticker on the top to complete the outfit. Seriously, if you pay this much attention to detail, each truffle will become a precious gift and your friends and family will be blown away by your truffle-wrapping skillz.

And here’s what it looks like when you open it up and take a bite! The best part is biting right into the hazelnut.

Ahhh, man. Just looking at all these photos from last year is making me want to make them again. Or better yet, does someone want to make them for me?

Happy (early) Valentine’s Day~!

Feel free to leave a comment!