Dark Dark Chocolate Truffles

It is officially December which means I can start sharing holiday candy recipes! I was going to start with these last week, but it just felt wrong.

When it comes to holiday candies, let's just get one thing straight. Oreo truffles are delicious and they have sort of taken the world by storm (at least they have here in Rexburg, Idaho). I have also seen them all over pinterest and the blogosphere lately.

It seems like every Christmas party I go to has a platter of oreo truffles and they disappear within minutes. Even I myself have done a version of these truffles on the blog before.

I was at a party recently where there were some oreo truffles. I was talking to the lady who made them, obviously to tell her how yummy they were, and she started telling me how easy they were to make (which I already knew). But then she said something along the lines of "They are so much easier to make than traditional chocolate truffles".

I smiled and nodded and we went our separate ways.

In response to the last statement she said I started thinking, "Really, are they that much easier? Is it easier to make an oreo truffle than a traditional chocolate truffle?".

To all visitors of the blog today, new readers and old, I am going to share a little secret with you. Making traditional chocolate truffles is just as easy as making an oreo truffle. More so actually because unless you buy your oreos already crushed very finely, I find the work of crushing a whole pack of oreos to be very obnoxious and messy (I don't have a food processor).

So here, I will show you how to make REAL truffles in as few words as possible:

First you measure out your dark chocolate into a glass bowl. Then you cover it in heavy cream that you have brought just barely to a boil. Cover this bowl with a glass plate and let the mixture sit for five minutes.

Come back and stir this chocolatey ganache-y goodness until it is smooth, creamy, and shiny. Add a little bit of extract during this step (vanilla, peppermint, almond, orange or rum--- whatever your heart desires).

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly over the surface of the chocolate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When it is all set up, dip a melon baller or cookie scoop in cold water and rinse your hands in cold water as well. Scoop out the chocolate and roll it into balls between your wet hands. Yes, having cold wet hands makes a HUGE difference in the messiness factor. You may have to re-rinse your melon baller and hands in cold water every three to four truffles.

Roll them into your desired toppings (I used coconut, cocoa powder, and chopped pistachios).

Refrigerate until ready to eat and Vwah-lah! You have some real truffles. Now that was easy.

These taste like a very very dark and bitter chocolate (which I love). However if you don't like dark chocolate you could try making them with milk chocolate chips instead, though I have never tried making them that way so I can't guarantee it will work.

Wrap these up in a cute little box for all of your chocolate loving neighbors and friends. They make a perfect holiday candy gift. If these aren't the candy you were looking for this holiday season, don't worry I have many more coming your way during the month of December!

Dark Chocolate Truffles

1 1/3 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon any flavor extract (such as vanilla)

chopped nuts, coconut, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, etc.

In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Pour the cream over chocolate in a sturdy glass bowl, and shake the bowl gently to settle the cream.  Cover bowl with glass plate and let sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk chocolate mixture until it is smooth and shiny, adding the flavored extract until combined. Press some plastic wrap directly over the surface of the chocolate and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Run hands and cookie scoop (or melon baller) under very cold water. Scoop out 12 balls of chocolate and roll them between cold wet hands. Put the topping of your choice on a plate or in shallow dish and roll truffles in desired toppings. Drop onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Source: The Taste Tester, adapted from Food Network Kitchens