Chocolate and Sacha Inchi truffles – A happy and relaxing treat + Giveaway

My chocolate addiction is no secret to anyone who knows me. A day in my life rarely goes by without me indulging in this pleasure, and I’m prepared to go extensively out of my way to satisfy my need for it. Some say chocolate makes you release the same pleasure hormones love does, and it sure feels like that to me!

But since I’m as interested in healthy eating as I am in chocolate, I have searched and experimented with ways to keep my favorite lover in my life, and not feel guilty about it. After all, cacao is actually very good for you, packed with magnesium and antioxidants, which both nourish and relax you. A natural health doctor even told me that people tend to eat chocolate when they’re anxious, because the body is actually craving the magnesium which calms the nervous system.

This is why I got so excited when I received a bottle of  Sacha Vida sacha inchi oil the other day. I remembered having eaten sacha inchi chocolate in Lima, so I immediately thought of preparing sacha inchi truffles, to make my daily chocolate treats twice as healthy. Sacha inchi oil has a nutty flavor which I think goes great with chocolate. Of course, moderation is key here: a truffle or two a day (not 5 or 10), will keep the doctor away.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, Sacha Inchi is an Amazonian plant that produces a star-shaped green fruit with edible seeds. Natives have consumed the healing leaves, fruit and seeds of sacha inchi for hundreds of years to promote the growth of children and teenagers, and to keep the elderly in good health; but it is only recently that its oil is becoming regularly consumed in big cities like Lima, and slowly starting to be sold abroad.

The seeds of sacha inchi are a rich source of digestible protein, and contain a very high amount of healthy Omega 3’s, vitamins A and E, potassium, zinc, calcium, and fiber. It is also said that they help promote good mood, so putting chocolate and sacha inchi together may well be the fountain of happiness!

If you want to try this delicious superfood, Peru Delights and Sacha Vida are giving away one bottle of sacha inchi oil to a lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling us what is your favorite healthy oil, and like Sacha Vida on facebook.

The winner will be chosen at random on Friday, August 17th. The giveaway is open to US residents only.

I recieved a bottle of Sacha Vida oil by my request (because I love sacha inchi and wanted to share it with all of you!), and all opinions on this post are my own.

 

Chocolate and Sacha Inchi truffles
Author: 
Recipe type: Sweets
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10
 
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate
  • ½ - 1 tablespoon sacha inchi oil
  • Nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut, cacao powder, cacao nibs, etc (to decorate)
Instructions
  1. Heat the cream in a pan, without letting it boil.
  2. Add it to the chocolate, and start stirring until all the chocolate is dissolved.
  3. Add the sacha inchi oil and keep stirring.
  4. Put in the fridge for 3 hours.
  5. Make small balls, and decorate with whole, or chopped nuts and dried fruit, or roll over shredded coconut, chopped cacao nibs, or cacao powder. Keep refrigerated.

 


Comments

  1. This looks delicious! I am also an avid chocolate lover and have to try my best to not eat chocolate daily. Maybe if I make these I can feel better about it since they are a bit healthier? Lol.

  2. YUM! I’m SO tempted to try and make these! Thanks for the recipe…

  3. I love, love chocolate. Any recipe with it in it, I love!! Thanks for sharing!

  4. Yo también me confieso culpable de ser chocolate lover !!! No conosco el Sacha Inchi oil pero voy a investigarlo en internet! tengo ganas de probarlo!!! Las trufas se ven delissss y lindas!

  5. I use a lot of olive and coconut oil – but I would love to try the sacha inchi oil! I like them on facebook!

  6. I eat chocolate every day but with this recipe which like your others, make these treats look easy to prepare, I may indulge (5-10) which you advise against. So much for my truffle making…;) Wonderful recipe, story, and photos, too!

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