Truffles

Clockwise from top left: Lemon Thyme, Coconut, Raspberry, Mint & Peanut Butter.

I've always wanted to make truffles and had two recipes to do so - one from Bon Appetite and one from Real Simple. So I took tips from both, bought a ton of dark chocolate from Trader Joes (I couldn't find a good bittersweet which would have been preferrred) and set to work. The first part - the filling was easy enough - just melt the chocolate with some heavy cream and butter, whisk it up and put it in a shallow pan to cool. I did make a couple variations on the basic filling by infusing a portion of the cream with thyme and mixing in lemon peel and also doing a raspberry puree version. I really wanted a chocolate peanut butter combo so I did another batch with peanut butter, sugar and cream. I didn't have a recipe but since I used natural PB I should have added more sugar.

My intention was to do the whole she-bang in one day but that turned into three days until I came out of the chocolate coma I had induced on day one. Then came the harder part. You have to work fast to roll them into balls because they will start melting all over the place. Then you have to refreeze/refrigerate them before they get dunked in another coating of just pure chocolate. This can only be done a few at a time if you want to put any kid of decor or final coating b/c you can't let the chocolate shell dry. It helps to have all of the potential toppings in separate bowls when you start. And it is really messy.

I didn't really have anyone to give them to by the time I finished b/c I didn't have time for deliveries before we left for vacation. Plus I wasn't sure if they were any good because I was in a second chocolate coma/overdose by this time. I did send Avery off with a box for her teacher and the bus driver with a warning that they were super rich. Next year I will try to seek out bittersweet chocolate if I try it again because the dark is so... well dark (and for me usually the darker the better. this is where ben would insert a joke about him liking his chocolate like he likes his women...to which I would do one of two things - roll my eyes or giggle uncontrollably - depending on my mood). Anyhow, I still have some in the freezer so depending on how they keep, those in the local vicinity are welcome to come over and try some.

But speaking of chocolate did anyone get to try the Belgian Chocolate Mini Bar assortment from Trader Joes? They were so good and since I figured they were a seasonal item (they were dressed in shades of red and green) I stocked up because they are the perfect bite of dark chocloate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate espresso or milk chocolate with tiny almond bits. I don't think I have enough to last me until next Christmas but I have enough to stave off post partum energy slumps. Maybe. I just ate four as I wrote this last paragraph.