Monday, November 15, 2010

A recipe (sort-of)

It's not really a recipe, but more of a formula.  Remember those candy melts that we used at Easter?  I've got another project for them.  Chocolate Truffles!  Here's what you need:

  • 2 bags of candy melts (I used the light cocoa)
  • Oil based candy flavoring-do not use regular flavored extracts that you'd find in the spice aisle of your grocery store.  These won't blend with the chocolate.  Look for ones that are specifically for making candy. 
  • Heavy Whipping Cream
  • Decorative sprinkles and sugars if desired
First create the filling:
Following the package directions, melt one bag of the candy melts.  Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of whipping cream to the melted chocolate and stir well.  Now add your flavoring to taste. It will depend on your chosen flavor how much you'll need, so start with a few drops and add your way up until you're happy. I used 1 teaspoon of raspberry flavoring and it came out pretty strong.  Next time I'll probably dial that amount back just a touch.  Place the bowl in the fridge to let the chocolate cool for about an hour.  You want it to be firm, but still pliable.

Once the chocolate is cool, take it out of the fridge and get ready to potentially make a mess. My filling yielded about 60 truffles, so if you've got helpers, this would be the step to start employing them. Line a sheet pan with parchment or wax paper. Using a spoon, scoop up a small amount of the chocolate and roll into half-inch balls using your hands. Set them on the pan as you continue to work, until all of your chocolate is rolled.

Turning them into truffles:
Melt the 2nd bag of candy melts. I used just over 1/2 a bag to coat my truffles, so if you want to save some chocolate for other projects, you can melt a little at a time depending on your need.  Dip the filling balls into the newly melted chocolate until thoroughly coated.  Scoop them out and replace on the pan to harden at room temperature. A fork is really helpful for this, because you can shake off any excess chocolate.  If you want to decorate your truffles, roll them in your sprinkles or sugar after you dip them, or use a different color of candy melts and drizzle it over the top of the finished truffles.  I chose to skip the decoration, but I set the dipped truffles into mini baking cups to harden for individual treats. 

That's it!  Go eat them!

1 comment:

Kacie said...

An even better (and more holiday appropriate) version of these truffles can be found at Wilton.com. Instead of candy flavoring, add half a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground ginger, along with 1/8th teaspoon of ground cloves. It tastes just like gingerbread! From wilton's website just search for Gingerbread truffles.