Saturday, December 6, 2008

4 Ways with Chocolate Truffles


I love making these truffles anytime there is something to celebrate: they're always a great treat to bring over for a dinner party or for a potluck and are delicious. I used to make regular cocoa-dipped truffles for years, until I started dipping them in different coatings. I always serve truffles like this now - they are easy to make, lovely to serve and the toppings add a nice crunch to the velvety and smooth chocolaty inside.

I think Christmas platters should be able to please all tastes, which is why I would serve these rich balls of decadence with some lighter cookies (like the ricotta lemon cookies with lemon glaze). It's all about balance, variety and moderation is it not?

Recipe
Makes about 50 truffles
1/2 pound good quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound good quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup of heavy cream
Zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier
1/2 teaspoon of good vanilla extract
One handful of shredded coconut
One handful of cocoa powder
One handful of chopped pistachios
One handful of ground almonds

Place the chocolates in a heat-proof mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to bubble. Pour the cream over the chocolate. With a wire whisk, stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, orange zest and vanilla. Refrigerate for an hour or until the chocolate mixture has hardened.
Using 2 small spoons, form round balls of the chocolate mixture. Then, using the palm of your hand, make the balls as round as possible and dip in the respective toppings. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for another hour. Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before serving.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

These are beautiful. What a lovely idea!

Laavanya said...

These should make such perfect gifts (although if I made them, i would probably eat them all and not want to share) :D

Anonymous said...

Oh no! I simply must have these!

veggie belly said...

oh my! your truffles looks so rich and festive!

Anonymous said...

Your truffles look amazing, I think I will have to try to make them myself over the holidays!

Court said...

These look just gorgeous! I would love getting something like this as a gift.

Shelby said...

They look like they are calling my name. lol. I think they look delicious. I really love chocolate and nuts!

Rachelle S said...

Love the pistachio ones! I just made some tonight with leftover ganache.

Esi said...

Growing up, I always looked forward to the holidays because my mom used to make similar truffles for her cookie baskets. These are beautiful.

vanillasugarblog said...

you have been busy in the kitchen! these are simply gorgeous! one of the best photos (and you have many)

Hornsfan said...

Beautiful photo!

Darius T. Williams said...

sphI'm loving these - I really am!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

Deeba PAB said...

Tks for stopping by, & for posting thse decadent truffles. They are gorgeous...& so is the picture! BTW, I love the name of your blog! Cheers Deeba

Nazarina A said...

Your truffles and the ricotta cookies are indeed the yin and yang of desserts.These truffles best be hidden away from me, there will be nothing left!

Kaitlin said...

those are so nice looking and i bet they're equally delicious!

Allison said...

I am making these for gifts!! thanks!!

Shaheen said...

Gosh this looks incredible! I'm so happy to discover your blog! :D

Anonymous said...

Was just thinking of whipping up a batch of ganache. Thanks for the ideas!

Anonymous said...

A very elegant way to serve truffles indeed! They look delicious and the photo is just beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Nice truffles. Truffles are a great treat for this time of year.

test it comm said...

Nice truffles! I really like the green of the pistachios.

Anonymous said...

These are lovely! I'm about to loaf in front of the television and wish I had this bowl of truffles to keep me company.

Blog Widget by LinkWithin