Decadent Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate truffles are SOoooo easy to make.  You pay a fortune for them at a chocolate shop, but you certainly don't have to.  Gather together some fun friends and have a great time making these for someone you love.  You can flavor them with liqueur if you'd like, but we made ours straight up with easy-to-obtain pantry staples.  These make such special gifts or party favors.  You'll be super glad you did!  It's true, you can go out and buy the "store bought ones," but when you give a homemade gift like this, the recipient is always truly overjoyed! 

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Ingredients: (2 dozen)

• 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 stick (8 Tbsp or 1/2 cup) butter
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp good quality vanilla 
• various optional toppings of your choice
• dark cocoa powder
• chocolate candy coating
• shredded coconut 
• crumbled shortbread cookies
• chopped pecans
• colored sugar crystals
• etc (be creative as you'd like) 

Step-by-Step:

In a medium sized bowl, combine 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips plus 1/2 cup room temperature (or slightly melted) butter.

 

In a medium (but heavy duty) pot, gently warm the 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream until it is at a simmer.  You will notice the bubbles start to form around the edges of the pot.  Here is where I will tell you to watch it carefully.  You do not want it to come to a boil.  You just want it heated.

Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and butter.  Whisk them together.  This is where the magic starts to happen.  :) 

 You can get someone to start whisking for you while you add the other stuff.  (It's not essential to have a helper, but it is a fun place to allow kids to help.)  Add in the 3/4 tsp of kosher salt, and the 1 tsp of vanilla.  

All at once, the mixture starts coming together... like magic.  It looks - divine.  It smells - divine!  It tastes - DIVINE! 

I just HAD to add these pictures in here.  I know they aren't clear, because the lens focused on the rim of the bowl.  But the camera captured more than that.  The looks on their faces tell the story here. The smell...... Mmmm.  The texture..... Oooooh when it all comes together at once.  This, my friends, is the fun of cooking with your kids.  :)

Now you can add it to a shallow dish that you have lined with plastic food wrap.  It can be a cookie sheet or a casserole dish or whatever you choose.  Sometimes teamwork is the best way to go here.

Spread it out into an even layer.

Allow it to cool in the fridge a couple of hours to overnight.  Then I sort of scored it with a pizza cutter so that I could get the same amount of ganache in each truffle.   

You need to work quickly, because your hands are warm.  Keep in in the cold pan while you are working.  Quickly roll them into a ball.

Set the balls out onto parchment paper when you've rolled them.  Now these need to go BACK into the fridge for about an hour before you dip them or roll them into anything. 

The simplest truffles resemble the truffle mushrooms, so they get rolled into dark chocolate cocoa powder. 

For the rest, just use your imagination.  I purchased some chocolate candy coating that you melt either over a double boiler or in the microwave, dipped them, then while they were still wet, sprinkled them with whichever topping we chose and allowed them to dry.  It's that simple. 

Then go out and buy a cute little box, add some gift wrap tissue, your beautiful truffles, and you are all set to make someone's day!

I hope you enjoyed this fabulous and easy recipe!

There are hundreds more in my Recipe Index, just waiting to be chosen and cooked!  

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Written Method:

Step-by-Step:

In a medium sized bowl, combine 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips plus 1/2 cup room temperature (or slightly melted butter).  In a separate medium (but heavy duty) pot, gently warm the 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream until it is at a simmer.  You will notice the bubbles start to form around the edges of the pot.  Here is where I will tell you to watch it carefully.  You do not want it to come to a boil.  You just want it heated. 

Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and butter.  Whisk them together.  This is where the magic starts to happen.  You can get someone to start whisking for you while you add the other stuff.  (It's not essential to have a helper, but it is a fun place to allow kids to help.)  Add in the 3/4 tsp of kosher salt, and the 1 tsp of vanilla.

Now you can add it to a shallow dish that you have lined with plastic food wrap.  It can be a cookie sheet or a casserole dish or whatever you choose. Spread it out into an even layer.  Allow it to cool in the fridge a couple of hours to overnight.  Then I sort of scored it with a pizza cutter so that I could get the same amount of ganache in each truffle.   You need to work quickly, because your hands are warm.  Keep in in the cold pan while you are working.  Quickly roll them into a ball.  Set the balls out onto parchment paper when you've rolled them.  Now these need to go BACK into the fridge for about an hour before you dip them or roll them into anything. 

The simplest truffles resemble the truffle mushrooms, so they get rolled into dark chocolate cocoa powder.  For the rest, just use your imagination. I purchased some chocolate candy coating that you melt either over a double boiler or in the microwave, dipped them, then while they were still wet, sprinkled them with whichever topping we chose and allowed them to dry.  It's that simple.  Then go out and buy a cute little box, add some gift wrap tissue, your beautiful truffles, and you are all set to make someone's day!