Christmas has come and gone, and we have all probably had our fill of cookies, cakes, and sweets. But, the new year is just around the corner and you have to celebrate that with something sweet! I thought truffles were perfect, they're easy to make and a yummy small bite that's not too filling, and they look really fancy! I adapted this recipe just a bit from the cookbook Tartine it's a great book full of yummy pastry and cake recipes, all from the bakery in San Francisco. I changed mine up a bit with different topping to roll them in, so they would look like shinning gems on the new years table! I used chopped pistachios, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar! These truffles are basically like making a thick ganache and then just waiting for them to set in the fridge, so hardly any work and they look so pretty. These would be perfect to have on New Years Eve with some friends and a little bubbly cider!
CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
makes about 20 truffles
8 ounces semi or bitter sweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon corn syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar, cocoa powder, pistachios or whatever you like
To start, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup over medium heat until it is almost boiling. While the cream is heating up, chop your chocolate into pieces, I usually use two 4oz. bars. Put your chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream over it along with the softened butter. Stir this mixture until the heat of the cream has melted all the chocolate and butter and it is smooth. Lastly, add your vanilla, then you need to wait for the chocolate to come to room temperature and firm up a bit. I usually just set mine in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for about 1 hour. After that 1 hour take your bowl of chocolate out and scoop little balls out with a small ice cream scoop, melon baller or just a tablespoon. Place the balls on a sheet tray, it should make 20 to 30 depending on the size of your truffle. At this point the truffle will still be pretty soft so put them back in the fridge for a couple hours or in the freezer for about half an hour until they're nice and firm.
Once they come out of the cold they will look like the picture above and be fairly easy to handle. Dump a cup or so of chopped pistachios, powdered sugar or cocoa powder into a wide bowl or plate and then roll the truffles in the coating. You can roll the chocolate in your hands right before rolling them through the coating so the surface is warm and will stick to your toppings better. After you're done you can place them in small cupcake liners or just on a plate, and stick them back in the fridge until you are ready to serve. The truffles will last a week or two if kept in the fridge.
I hope you have a happy new year and that these little guys make it to your celebration table!
