Holiday Chocolate Truffle Delight

Michelle brings us a wonderful recipe for those hard to please men in our lives and my guess the women too ~ because who doesn't LOVE chocolate! This is one delightfully sweet treat you will have to hide a little away to enjoy over the holidays for yourself! WOW I have always wanted to know how to make these thanks Michelle for sharing this fantastic recipe with all of us I can't wait to try it!



BY: Michelle of Creative Critters
My studio is called CreativeCritters and all my work is carefully hand crafted. I make polymer clay sculptures, mixed media jewelry, adorable hand-sewn cloth dolls, knit stuffed toys, polymer clay pen sets, and World of Warcraft plush characters, among other things. Each piece is individually handcrafted, and each is unique.

~*~
"I finally found something that my father in law just loves, and he's a VERY picky man, especially when it comes to food. One year I decided to try my hand at making homemade truffles. Dad absolutely loved them, and I've had to make him his own special box every Christmas since then. He even hides his box when he gets home (Mom told me this)! So if you've got a hard to please father in law, try this recipe out on him!"


Chocolate Truffles
Makes 35-45 truffles

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Ingredients:
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20 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream

1) Make the filling
Place 8 oz. of chocolate chips and the butter in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour half the cream into the bowl. As the chocolate melts, slowly whisk the mixture together until smooth. Then gradually add the remaining cream until it's completely incorporated and the ganache is thick and shiny.

2)Form the truffles
Pour the ganache into a 2" deep baking pan, spread evenly and place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until set (it should have the consistency of fudge). Using a melon baller or small spoon, form rounds and place them on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Let the truffles harden in the freezer for about 15 minutes. After removing from the freezer, roll truffles between your hands into marble sized spheres, squeezing slightly (try to do this quickly or they'll become too soft). Now you can dust them with powdered sugar or cocoa, which is Dad's favorite way to have them. You can also coat them with chocolate, which Mom and my brother in law prefer.

3) Make the chocolate coating
Let the truffles rest in the freezer while you make the chocolate glaze. Place the remaining chocolate pieces in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and let cool at room temp., stirring occasionally until the chocolate starts to set at the edge of the bowl. Drop the truffles into the melted chocolate and retrieve them with a fork, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off. You can leave them with a plain chocolate coating or dust them with cocoa, powdered sugar, or nuts.

Truffles will keep for about 2 weeks chilled or at room temp when stored in an airtight container
(although Dad's never last that long!).