Gingerbread “truffles” with lemon icing and candied orange peels
Even though I have yet to buy a single Christmas gift (eek!), I have already immersed myself in holiday baking projects. With the rate the holiday season is approaching, I had to start early or it’d be January before I knew it!
These little guys were one of the easiest creations I’ve made this season and I pretty much love them. The recipe is very easy to follow and you don’t even have to turn on your oven!
Basically they are bite-sized “truffles” made from oats, pecans, dates, flax seed, molasses and spices. Somehow something so relatively healthy (when compared to the decadence of other holiday treats) still manages to taste like a sweetly chewy gingersnap cookie.
And did I mention how crazy easy they are? If you have a food processor, they are a snap. Simply process the oats into a fairly fine mixture and then do the same with the toasted pecans and then with the dates — all separately. Once the dates are finely minced, add all ingredients in and blend until the mixture comes together.
Chill, roll into balls, top with icing.
Rolled up balls of gingery love.
The icing is simply powdered sugar mixed with lemon juice and zest until it forms a thick but pourable mixture. I think the citrus really helped amp up the flavor in these. Once the icing was drizzled on top, I garnished each one with more lemon zest or a tiny piece of candied orange peel.
Once the icing is set you’re ready to plate them up for your next holiday gathering!
I also would highly recommend making your own candied orange peels. Even though you’ll only need a little bit for these, they are amazing chopped up and put onto iced sugar cookies, dipped in chocolate or eaten as is. They are a bit of a process to make but easy enough. My friend DB and I make them together every year — see our tutorial here!
My absolute favorite “must make” holiday treat!
You keep making things I can’t stand (gingerbread, i.e.) and making them look irresistible!
How can you hate gingerbread? That’s just crazy talk! Though I’ll totally take the compliment. =)
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nom nom nom 🙂 You do realize that all you need to do is give these truffles as Christmas gifts, right? No worries 🙂
ha! I ate them too quickly to give them to anyone! =)
A friend and I were just discussing a similar recipe, so I’m very glad you posted your version! These look delicious and I love the candied orange peels!
Thanks! You know, I think either that recipe or another one is making the rounds lately. I had a few co-workers mention the same thing. Hope you give them a try if you haven’t already — they are super delicious!
These sound fab! X
They really were delicious! =)
Oh boy oh boy oh boy! These look amazing! I wonder if I could use some crumbled gingerbread biscuits in this too (I have rather a lot)? Thinking cap now official ‘on’.
Thank you! And I bet gingerbread biscuits would be perfect in here — maybe use them instead of the oats and cut back on some of the spice. In fact, that sounds so good I may have to give it a go myself. Thanks for sharing your inspiration! =)