Healthy-ish Chocolate Truffles

First and foremost these taste really good.  Its not one of those 'healthy alternatives' that people try and convince you taste just the same but actually taste like someone stirred in a little cow manure for authenticity.  I got the lads in the warehouse in work to taste one each and asked them all what they thought the secret ingredient was;  needless to say none of them guessed and many were appalled because they wouldn't have even tried an avocado in its normal state but they agreed that they were really nice except some of the lads didnt like the dark chocolate.  
It was a point of curiousity really that lead me to risk the chocolate on making truffles with a vegetable (well technically a fruit) even if it is one that I like.  These are incredibly easy to make, the hardest part mashing the avocodo down so that there are no lumps.  

Makes 12 Truffles

1 Small Ripe Avocado
140g Dark Chocolate
Cocoa for dusting

Method

1. Melt chocolate either in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or in a microwave for 30 seconds at a time stirring each time until its all melted.
2. Mash an avocado with a fork until its smooth like whipped cream.  Gradually add melted chocolate to the avocado.   Allow to cool and pop in the fridge for 20 mins.
3. Take teaspoons of the chilled chocolate mix and roll into a ball and toss in cocoa. Pop them back in the fridge for 5 mis to firm up or until ready to eat. 

Irish Soda Bread

So this is it.  I love soda bread and would happily eat a soda cake to myself with just butter.  Add a bit of homemade jam and my tastebuds are in ecstasy.

 I found it hard to get the recipe right but turns out I had just been over-complicating it.  The basic recipe comes from one of my co-workers Rob's Dad who makes bread every evening for 3 generations of the family.  

This will freeze well so you can make this in advance and defrost overnight. I double the recipe but make three loaves at a time because I add my own seed mix to it (see variations).

250g Stoneground Wholewheat Flour
250g Plain Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
500ml Buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C (reduce to 175C when the bread goes in)
2. Stir together the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle pour in the buttermilk.  Mix until combined well but dont overmix.
3. Grease and Flour a loaf tin and empty the dough into it.  Cut a slit with a sharp knife down the length of it to let out the steam.
4. Bake for approx 1 hour.  If you're not sure test the bread to see if its done.
5. Take out the bread and wrap in a clean tea towel (this will prevent the crust from getting too hard)

Variations

I like nutty tasting bread so I mix together linseed pumpkin seed sunflower seed sesame seed and a fistful of oatmeal which makes it very rich in fibre