Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles

12 Days of (Christmas) Cookies

Day 5

Chocolate Truffles

This was my first time making truffles. I'm not going to lie -- they take a lot of work, a lot of time and definitely produce a lot of dishes but they are so worth it in the end! I thought I would make these a little more festive by coating some of them in crushed candy canes and others in crushed pistachios. YUMMY! I got the recipe from Alton Brown and I know why the recipe has such rave reviews. You must make these!

Ingredients:

• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 c heavy cream
  
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 c Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 c crushed candy canes
  
• 1/2 c crushed pistachios

Directions:

• Melt the 10 oz of chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, until melted; set aside.
  
• In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup over medium heat, until simmering. Remove from heat and pour over the melted chocolate mixture. Let it stand for 2 minutes. Gently stir with a rubber spatula, until smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch glass dish and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  
• Using a melon baller, scoop the chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate another 30 minutes.
• Place the cocoa powder, pistachios and crushed candy canes in their own shallow bowl; set aside.
  
• Remove the chocolate truffles from the refrigerator. Roll and shape them in the palms of your hands and form balls.
• Place the 8 oz of chocolate in a double boiler, using a candy thermometer, heat and stir until the temperature reaches 90 to 92 degrees. Do not go above 94 degrees. Remove from heat.
  
• Coat the truffles, one at a time, into the melted chocolate using just one hand. Coat each truffle in either the cocoa powder, pistachios or crushed candy canes using your other hand. Leave each truffle in the coating for at least 10 to 15 seconds before removing. This helps the coating set a little.
  
• Place the coated truffles onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Allow to set in a cool, dry place for at least 1 hour or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  
• They are best when served at room temperature.
  
• Enjoy!

Low Fat Chocolate Truffles

Indulge yourself or your sweetheart with these rich, creamy low fat chocolate truffles. Using light cream cheese instead of heavy cream, you can enjoy these sweet treats without feeling too guilty. When I make these at Christmas, I like to add a little peppermint extract. Although I roll these in cocoa powder or confectioner's sugar, you could roll them in chopped nuts or chocolate sprinkles instead.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

Preparation:

Melt chocolate chips in a microwavable glass bowl for 1 minute until just melted. Stir with a spatula until smooth.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. Add cocoa powder and mix until blended. The mixture will be crumbly at first but will come together as a dough. Gradually add sugar and beat until the dough is soft and creamy.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls (this is messy!). Dip and roll balls into shallow bowls of either sifted confectioner's sugar or sifted cocoa powder. Place truffles on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill for at least an hour.

Makes 20 truffles