Boy was I dreading the predicted snowfall of last December. I was sure to go stir crazy cooped up in the house all weekend. But then it hit me, with Christmas approaching, what better time to get in the kitchen and whip up the holiday treats I’d been planning? As the first snowflake descended the next day, I welcomed the more-than-a-foot of snow to come with open arms.
Wanting to challenge myself with food I’d never made before – I did have lots of time on my hands – I opted for chocolate truffles. I’d heard mixed opinions on the difficulty, but how hard could something with a mere four ingredients be? For me, luckily, not at all. The hardest part was waiting (patiently) for the chocolate/cream mixture to set so I could roll out the spherical bites of deliciousness, coat them in more chocolate and cover them with special toppings.
And thankfully, the snow melted just enough for safe travels to our family gatherings where the truffles were a hit. This year, white Christmas or not, there’s no doubt these truffles will make my dessert menu again.
Here’s the recipe with ideas on how to creatively top the truffles. Bet you can’t eat just one. I sure couldn’t.
Recipe: Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips (for coating)
- Topping options: Chopped nuts, miniature chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate cookie crumbs, festive sprinkles or finely chopped pieces of your favorite candy bar.
Instructions
- Over a double boiler, combine 8 oz. of chocolate chips and heavy cream, stirring until mixture is smooth. Whisk in the cinnamon.
- Refrigerate the mixture until firm, about 2 hours.
- Measure out tablespoons of the mixture and form into balls, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Melt the 12 oz. of chocolate chips in a double boiler until smooth.
- Put the toppings of choice into small bowls.
- Dunk the frozen truffles into the melted chocolate, then dip into the toppings. Place truffles back on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Store the truffles in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Yields 18-20 really yummy truffles!
