Badam Gulkand Truffles Easy Edible Gifts Carve Your Craving

What is Badam Gulkand Truffles?

Badam literally means “almond” and gulkand is “rose petal jam”. These truffles are bite sized chocolates filled with nuts, rose, cardamom and fennel. This recipe is my Indian spin on the classic truffles. Diwali is around the corner. It is a festival of lights and welcoming good vibes. During this festival, we like to host our loved ones as well as gift sweet boxes to our friends and family. Well, I like traditional mithai like the classic badam katli but nowadays I am inclining towards more fusion, fun, and progressive recipes. Sweets like this badam gulkand truffles, thandai fudge, and triple chocolate kalakand make great edible gifts. They are luxurious in taste, easy and inexpensive to make at home. These almond rose truffles make a great way to end your meal. It acts as a lovely mouth freshener similar to a pan.

The ingredient list.

These almond rose truffles are a no-bake recipe and require minimum cooking (Just melting chocolate). Ready-made almond flour and roasted nuts make this process a no-cook one. Almond Flour – I have used Costco Almond Flour. Make sure it is the cream color coarse powder and not an almond meal. Condensed Milk – It is a magic ingredient that lends a light sweetness and most importantly binds the almond truffles without cooking or using any sugar syrup. Nuts– You can use your favorite ones here. I have used roasted almonds, cashews, and pistachios. You can just use one variety as well. I buy the roasted ones to save time on roasting. If you have raw nuts then it will take just extra 5 minutes of your time. Gulkand – Also known as rose petal jam is easily available in Indian stores. The dried rose petals solely aren’t as potent in flavor as gulkand is. I love the hidden touch of rose in this truffle recipe.

The aromatic tastemakers.

Fennel seeds – Also called sauf, these seeds lend a refreshing flavor to your mouth. Cardamom powder – Cardamom also known as elaichi is quintessential in all Indian sweets. If you do not like it, just skip it. Nutmeg – Very little goes a long way. It adds a lot of desi flavor to these truffles. Ghee– I have used it occasionally and sparingly to make the truffle balls. Semi-sweet chocolate or Dark chocolate. My family prefers semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate. Just use a good quality baking chocolate bar or in chocolate-chip form. I do not recommend milk chocolate as it turns these truffles too sweet. Candy melts are my last preference but work well.

Step-by-step instructions.

For roasting the nuts.

If you are using pre-roasted nuts then skip this step.If you are using raw nuts then roast them with the fennel seeds in a pan on low heat.Stir continuously for 3-5 minutes until roasted.Let the mixture cool down.Now pulse it a few times in your food processor. It should be chunky and coarse, not completely ground.

For making almond truffles.

Process almond flour, condensed milk, nutmeg, and cardamom in a food processor until combined. If you have a big food processor then it may not form a dough. Don’t worry it comes together with hand later on. Just pile the mixture on a lightly greased plate with ghee. Spread some ghee on your fingers and palm. Knead it for a minute.If you do not have a food processor, simply knead it with your hands until it forms a smooth dough.Cover and keep aside until use.

For filling the almond truffles.

Reserve 1 tablespoon nut mixture for garnish, optional. Roughly mix the gulkand and the nut mixture by hand.Grease your palms with a bit of ghee.Now take a tablespoon scoop measure of the prepared almond dough and make a ball.Pinch in the center to create an indentation. Now fill in a very small ball of gulkand nut mixture.Next, seal the nut mixture with the almond dough and roll it between your palms until you get a smooth round ball.Repeat this process to make the remaining balls.Cover it with a dishcloth and refrigerate for at least an hour before dipping them into melted chocolate.

For coating the chocolate to make truffles.

Melt the chocolate with the shortening over a double boiler or in the microwave for 1 minute on 100% power. Stir well then microwave again using 50% power for an additional minute. Stop and stir, and microwave again until melted and smooth. Now dip the truffles one at a time in the melted chocolate, roll gently to coat evenly, and then take them out with a fork. Make sure you tap the fork gently to the rim of the chocolate bowl to get off any excess chocolate. Now place the truffle on the parchment paper or a wired rack. You will need a spoon or an offset spatula to slide down the truffle from the fork. If you are not using a double boiler method then chances are that the chocolate may thicken in the process of coating the truffles. If it does then simply pop it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to adjust the consistency. Repeat this process with all the truffles.

Garnish it with the reserved crushed nuts, dried rose petals, and edible gold/silver leaf if desired. Make sure to add garnishes before the chocolate sets hard.Pop the truffles in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set completely.

Tips to make great almond rose truffles.

Always cover the almond dough with a lid or a dishcloth to prevent it from drying out.Grease your palms with a little smear of melted ghee as and when needed. This will avoid the dough to stick to your palms and result in smooth truffle balls.Adding vegetable shortening or coconut oil gives a nice sheen to the truffles. Skip if unavailable.Add the garnish to the truffles before the chocolate dries up or it won’t stick.

Possible additions and substitutes.

If you want to go dairy free then swap the condensed milk with vegan coconut-sweetened condensed milk.Store-bought gulkand has sugar, so it is not vegan. You may skip it altogether and use a few dried rose petals instead.Skip nutmeg if unavailable.You may add a generous pinch of saffron to the almond dough if desired.Use dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet.

Make ahead-of-time tips

You can make the coarse roasted nut filling up to 2 weeks in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.You can make the almond dough up to a week in advance, cover it, and refrigerate it.Truffles will stay good in the refrigerator for a month.You can freeze them in a sealed container for up to 6 months. Thaw over the counter at room temperature for an hour or two.

Turn this recipe Vegan.

These truffles are gluten-free. But you can even make it vegan by swapping dairy condensed milk with coconut condensed milk and the gulkand with some rose petals, or you can skip the rose altogether.

We like it because

It is made with luxurious ingredients like nuts and rose petal jam. These truffles make great edible gifts.This sweet is almost a no-cook recipe. It is gluten-free and can be made vegan with easy substitutes. It can be made ahead of time for any occasion.

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