Homemade Chocolate Covered Prunes

Chocolate covered prunes consist of juicy prunes infused with alcohol and dipped in dark chocolate. Consisting of only 3 ingredients they make an easy, delicious, festive treat or edible gift.

Chocolate covered prunes make a delicious alternative to truffles. In Poland they are called 'śliwki w czekoladzie' and are especially popular at Christmas time (though you can buy them all year round). They are the simplest of desserts, really delicious and easy to make using just 3 ingredients.

Making homemade chocolate covered śliwki involves first infusing the prunes with alcohol (or another liquid, see suggestions below) so they stay plump, juicy and delicious for several days. The next step is coating the prunes in melted chocolate and then simply letting it set. After that your chocolate dipped prunes are ready to eat!

As an option you can coat your prunes in an extra layer of chocolate (see Instructions) as well as add another flavour twist (see Variations at the bottom of the post).

Chocolate covered prunes ingredients and substitutions

• Prunes: make sure they are soft.
• Chocolate: I recommend using chocolate with 50-60% cocoa solids, so it's dark but not too bitter. You can use darker chocolate, if preferred, but I don't recommend using chocolate with less than 50% cocoa solids.
• Alcohol: this can be brandy, whisky, sherry or vodka (including flavoured varieties). Alternatively use coffee or tea (not too strong) with a teaspoon of sugar (black, earl grey or rooibos), fruit compote or even just water with a bit of sugar.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Infuse prunes: Place the prunes in a shallow bowl, add the alcohol and stir thoroughly. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours (or overnight). Stir once or twice, if possible.

TIP: You can cover the prunes completely with alcohol, if you prefer, although it's not necessary.

2. Dry prunes: Place the prunes on top of a paper towel to get rid of excess moisture. Pat them dry gently but thoroughly. You can also set the prunes aside for several minutes to let them dry naturally first then pat dry with a paper towel.

3. Melt chocolate: Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a medium, heat-proof glass bowl (make sure it's dry). Fill a small saucepan with an inch of water and bring to a gentle simmer then place the chocolate on top. Stir the chocolate with a (dry) silicone spoon as it melts. Remove from the heat when most of the chocolate has melted then stir until silky smooth and completely melted.

TIP: Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water in the saucepan and the chocolate doesn't come into contact with any liquid. Alternatively melt the chocolate in the microwave (being careful not to burn it).

4. Coat in chocolate: Using 2 small forks (or cocktail sticks) dip each prune in the melted chocolate then hold over the bowl for a few seconds to get rid of excess chocolate. Try to work swiftly but if the chocolate becomes too thick briefly heat it again to loosen the consistency. Place each prune dipped in chocolate on top of parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve chilled.

TIP: I don't recommend cooling the prunes on a rack or plate as some of the chocolate coating may come away as you remove the prunes later.

5. *Optional - Coat in chocolate again: Refrigerate the prunes for at least an hour before coating in the chocolate again (or you can do this the next day). I recommend using a little less chocolate (about 100g) for the second coating and adding a tablespoon of oil (which should make the chocolate a little runnier, so you don't use too much).

Serving suggestions

I sprayed my homemade chocolate dipped prunes with edible glitter, but you can serve them simply as they are. Another option is to sprinkle the prunes with sea salt flakes, desiccated coconut, chopped pistachios, etc. Make sure you do this before the chocolate has set.

Chocolate prune variations

• Add peanut butter: You can replace some of the chocolate with 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter (add it to the chocolate once melted). This will give it a different flavour twist (prunes and peanut butter are delicious together) and crunch (if you use crunchy peanut butter). You can still apply the second coating, as above.
• Cook prunes: If you are pressed for time, you can cook the prunes with the alcohol instead of infusing them for several hours. Simply simmer the prunes with the alcohol for 10 minutes or until the liquid has disappeared stirring gently all the time. Then dry the prunes and coat in the chocolate as per Instructions. The prunes won't taste of alcohol too much, but they'll still be juicy and delicious.

Storing

Polish-style chocolate covered prunes should be kept refrigerated either in an airtight container or covered with cling film. That way the chocolate will stay crunchy, and the prunes will retain their moisture for up to 2 weeks.

Top tips

• I recommend using good quality chocolate with 50-60% cocoa solids (or darker, if you prefer).
• I don't recommend using milk chocolate as it has a low cocoa content and doesn't always melt successfully.
• Pat the prunes dry (using a paper towel) thoroughly before coating in the chocolate.
• Refrigerate the prunes for at least one hour before coating in the chocolate again (if opting for the second coating).
• Keep refrigerated and serve chilled. If stored properly, your dark chocolate covered prunes will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
• Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

More Polish Christmas desserts to try next

• Polish Walnut Cake
• Polish Poppy Seed Cake
• Wheat Berry Pudding

See also these other traditional Polish dishes including more Christmas recipes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this chocolate covered prunes recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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