Make these truffles even when passionfruit is out of season using passionfruit powder.

Words: Anna Tait-Jamieson
Recipe: Megan May

Nut grower Vanessa Hayes met Megan May of Little Bird Organics four years ago when Megan was looking for a supply of organic macadamias for her raw and gluten-free products. Megan’s father Chris May – an organic pioneer who knew Vanessa from the days of her early macadamia trials – suggested they get in touch.

Vanessa: “Megan’s contact came at a crucial time during the early days of my cancer treatment. Her request for a regular supply of organic macadamias was the trigger and great incentive for my recovery. It gave me extra focus and reason to recover. Since then Little Bird Organics has grown massively and so has its demand for our organic macadamias, which has helped us grow as well.”

My childhood was filled with many a passionfruit, says Megan. “We always had several varieties growing in the garden. I wanted to capture that intense passionfruit flavour in these easy truffles, so I use freeze-dried passionfruit, which has even more punch than fresh passionfruit. These truffles are extremely easy to make and have the goodness of fresh macadamia nuts, raw honey and coconut. They are absolutely delicious and you know while you are treating yourself that you’re nurturing yourself, too.”

 

Macadamia Passionfruit Truffles

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup (115g) macadamia nuts
1 cup dried coconut
4 tablespoons local raw honey, coconut nectar or raw agave
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of sea salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla powder
(or ½ teaspoon extract)
1 tablespoon freeze-dried Fresh-As Passionfruit Powder
extra dried coconut for rolling

METHOD
Place ½ cup of the macadamias in a food processor and blend into a smooth butter. (This is also how you can make your own fresh macadamia butter.)
Add half the coconut along with the raw honey (or sweetener of choice), lemon zest, salt and vanilla to the food processor and blend together until well combined – the resulting mixture will be quite sticky.
Add remaining coconut and macadamias along with the passionfruit powder, and blend for 5 to 10 seconds until the mixture comes together but some texture remains. If your mixture is too sticky to work with, add small amounts of dried coconut until you can form a ball with it.
Take tablespoon amounts of the mixture and form each into a soft ball, then roll in extra dried coconut. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Makes 12