Vegan Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Bonbons

Ingredients

1/4 cup mashed sweet potato*
1/4 cup vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
2 tablespoons icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
few drops natural orange food colouring* optional
300 grams good quality dark chocolate (3 standard 100g bars)

Instructions

Start by melting the chocolate. To do this break up the chocolate and place it into a medium sized bowl. Fill a small pot with two inches of water and bring to a low simmer. Place the bowl with the chocolate on top of the pot (double boiler method). The water in the pot should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir the chocolate occasionally until it melts, about 7-10 minutes.
Once the chocolate has melted fill your chocolate molds with a thin layer that coats the bottom. With a small spoon (a chopstick or small brush works too) spread some of the chocolate halfway up the sides of the mold. This helps to make a good seal around the filling so that is doesn't seep out. Place into the fridge to set.
In the meantime start making the filling. In a medium sized bowl place the butter, mashed sweet potato, icing sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Using a hand mixer whip until smooth. Add a few drops of natural orange food coloring (see notes on to how to make your own) and stir until combined. Place the filling into a piping bag or ziplock bag. Remove the chocolate mold from the fridge and pipe in the filling, making sure not to let the filling touch the sides of the mold. Fill each mold 3/4 of the way up. Place back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
If your melted chocolate has hardened, place it back on top of the pot to melt. Once melted remove the mold from the fridge and fill each mold to the top with the melted chocolate. Once all of them are filled gently tap the mold on the counter top to remove any air bubbles. Place it back into the fridge for 45 minutes (or until the chocolate has set). When set, gently remove the chocolates from the mold. If eaten straight from the fridge the chocolate will have a crunch and the filling will be slightly dense. If brought to room temperature the chocolate and filling will be soft. Keep them covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

Notes

*Leftover mashed pumpkin or squash also works but you may have to add more icing sugar. I don’t recommend using canned pumpkin/sweet potato as the flavor and texture isn’t the same as fresh.

*There are a few ways to make natural orange food coloring. You can simply grate a carrot, pack the gated pieces into a ball and squeeze it overtop of a bowl. If you have a juicer you can juice a carrot. If you have a high speed blender you can blend a few carrots and strain using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth. Add a few drops of the carrot juice at a time to the mixture, adding no more than one tablespoon, as it will make the filling too wet. I have also used premade natural concentrated food coloring made out of vegetables that can be found at a health food store/online. You can also skip adding food colouring and it will be a lighter orange colour.

*The yield of chocolate bonbons varies on the size/shape of your mold.

Nutrition