Ambrosia chocolate truffles

Ambrosia salad is one of those delightfully retro dishes that instantly take you back to childhood barbecues. I’m talking about that big bowl of ‘salad’ filled with pineapple, mandarins, coconut and marshmallows and a dressing of… whipped or sour cream! There’s something so fun and almost childlike about it: the colours, the sweetness, the mix of textures. 

So for Christmas this year, I wanted to bottle up that feeling and turn it into something fun and festive. Enter: ambrosia chocolate truffles. They have all the familiar flavours, just tucked into a bite-sized Christmas treat that feels so fun and nostalgic! 

How to make Ambrosia chocolate truffles: key tips

Mixing the dry ingredients first helps the sticky dried fruit spread more evenly through the truffle mixture, which makes the final balls much smoother to roll. 

The mixture does need around 1 hour and 45 minutes in the fridge, so make sure you leave enough time. Letting the mixture firm up helps you roll it into smooth balls and makes sure they hold their shape. 

Once they’re made, they’ll keep happily in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They stay quite firm when chilled and will naturally soften as they come to room temperature.

White chocolate can be a little temperamental, especially if the truffle mixture is very cold. If the temperature difference is too big, the chocolate can crack as it sets. Make sure you don’t leave the rolled balls in the fridge for longer than 15 minutes, and letting the melted chocolate rest for a couple of minutes off the heat helps a lot too. And honestly, if you do get a few cracks, don’t worry, they’re still delicious! You can add a light second coat to smooth out the cracks (but you will need more chocolate melts).

What goes into my Ambrosia chocolate truffles?

I’m using desiccated coconut because it’s much finer than shredded, which helps the mixture bind smoothly and makes the truffles easier to shape. 

The base of the truffle mixture is melted white chocolate and cream, a little nod to the whipped cream ‘dressing’ that gives ambrosia salad its signature creaminess. 

For the fruit, I’ve used dried apricots because it’s so easy to find, usually comes pre-chopped and has a soft, delicate flavour. I also tested candied orange, which gives a flavour closer to mandarins if you prefer something truer to the original. Candied orange can taste quite strong, so if you are substituting, only use 2 tbsp of finely chopped orange. If you can’t find dried pineapple or don’t want to buy multiple packets of dried fruit, most mixed dried-fruit medleys include both pineapple and apricot, so that can be a convenient shortcut.

The mini marshmallows are essential, of course, but a quick tip: pop them in the fridge first. When they’re chilled, they’re far less sticky and much easier to cut. Cutting them in half gives you neater-looking truffles. 

If you love truffles, check out some of the best dessert balls.

Recipe and images by Stella Morelli.