Autumnal Equinox & Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles with Smoked Sea Salt

Today officially marks the autumnal equinox, otherwise known as the first day of fall/autumn! It is one of two days (the other bring the vernal equinox) when the hours of daylight match those of darkness. It is a time to reflect on what has happened thus far in the year and to evaluate the balance of light and dark within yourself. Perhaps the scales are tipped further towards one than the other. Evaluate. Adjust. Balance. Shed things that need to be shed and embrace something new.

I can tell when fall is about to start because there is a perceptible and tangible difference in the air. It feels less humid and stagnant. It is new and crisp like a freshly laundered sheet. It smells earthy and swirls my hair about my face. Walking through the yard I feel leaves and acorns crunch beneath my feet. Soon there will be a blanket of fiery hued leaves covering the green grass like a lovely old quilt. I'll lovingly bring out my sweaters and scarves, eagerly awaiting the first hint of cool air. Soon I'll be spying pumpkins everywhere and I won't mind in the slightest.

In honor of the official first day of fall, I wanted to give you something pumpkin-y. Perhaps it can tempt your sweet tooth away from all of the junky Halloween candy that is most likely filling store shelves by now. The filling of these truffles is sort of like a nutty pumpkin pie. It's creamy with just the right amount of spices and maple sweetness. A coating of dark chocolate envelops the creamy filling while a sprinkling of smoked sea salt provides a sharp contrast to the sweetness. I couldn't think of a better way to honor the change in season than with a couple of these and a mug of tea.

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles with Smoked Sea Salt
notes: The steps of this recipe take less than 30 minutes overall, but there is a fair bit of chilling time involved regarding the filling. If you do not have coconut flour on hand, you can use an equal amount of almond flour plus a tablespoon or so of coconut oil.

filling
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
6 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract
pinch of fine grain sea salt

chocolate coating
8 oz vegan dark chocolate
1 tbsp coconut oil

to finish
1/2 tbsp flaky smoked sea salt (or regular sea salt)
1 tbsp finely chopped pepitas


Combine the pumpkin, almond butter, maple syrup, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and fine grain sea salt in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth and thick. Put this mixture into a bowl, cover it, then place it in the freezer to firm up for 20 to 30 minutes.

Once the filling has firmed up a bit, remove it from the freezer. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop or a 1 tbsp measure, portion out balls of the filling mixture then place them on the parchment lined baking sheet. Once you have used all of the filling, place the baking sheet in the freezer until the balls of filling are completely firm (about 1 hour).

When you are ready to finish the truffles, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together slowly over a double boiler. Remove the filling from the freezer and working quickly, dunk each ball into the chocolate making sure to coat all sides. Gently place the truffle back on the lined baking sheet and sprinkle the top with a bit of smoked sea salt and chopped pepitas. Repeat with the remaining truffles. Place the baking sheet of truffles back in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate shell. At this point you can either serve/eat the truffles or place them in the fridge/freezer until you are ready to do so. Makes 16-18 truffles.