Roll up your sleeves and show someone special how much you love them this Valentine’s Day. These delicious, decadent dark chocolate truffles can be a little messy to roll but couldn’t be easier to make – and they’re vegan!

What I love about this recipe is how it can be customised. Feeling spicy? Add a pinch of cayenne to the mix and top with chilli flakes. Feeling romantic? Add a couple of drops of rose essence and sprinkle with edible dried petals. Get creative!

Basic Vegan Chocolate Truffles (Makes 18)

Ingredients

• 120g vegan dark chocolate (I used Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate)
• 100g coconut cream from a can of coconut milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8th tsp good quality flaky salt (ie maldon)
• 25ml Agave
• Cocoa for dusting

Before you start cooking, place the tin of coconut milk in the freezer for 30 mins, or in the fridge overnight. This will separate the cream from the coconut water. Weigh out 100g of the thick white coconut cream, save the rest of the contents of the can (this is great for enriching currys or making smoothies creamier).

Begin by placing a bowl over a saucepan containing about 2 inches of water. You want the bowl to rest over the water without touching it; this is called a bain marie. Bring the water to a low simmer.

Roughly chop the dark chocolate, then place with the coconut cream in the bowl of the bain marie. Heat until almost completely melted, then remove the bowl from the pan and stir until the last few chunks become liquid.

Add the vanilla extract, agave and salt, then leave, stirring occasionally, until it has firmed up enough to roll into balls, this can take around an hour .

Dust a tray liberally with cocoa powder, then use two spoons to separate out small balls of truffle mixture, and place onto your cocoa-covered tray. Alternatively use a small cookie scoop (2.5cm diameter).

This is the messy fun part. Once your mixture is portioned out, roll each one into a smooth ball (do this quickly so the heat from your hands doesn’t start melting the chocolate). Return each one to the cocoa tray and roll to coat in cocoa. This sets the mixture.

Give it a Gousto twist: Melt 80g of vegan dark chocolate in a bain marie, then quickly coat each truffle in chocolate. Sprinkle with toasted coconut whilst the chocolate is still melted and leave to set before putting in mini cupcake cases for serving.