Candyland

So this month’s Chatelaine (FYI – this isn’t your mother’s magazine anymore, so don’t mock me for the fact that it’s the only print publication to which I have religiously subscribed for years!) had an amazing-looking recipe for homemade chocolate truffles that I was dying to try. I’ve never made homemade chocolates before. A friend’s sister made some for me one Christmas about a decade ago, and I’ve always wanted to do the same – yet every year, my holiday schedule gets jammed and I skip out on the delicacies.

Luckily, with my family baby shower approaching, I had a wonderful excuse to give them a shot. Volunteering to make my own take-away guest gifts, I was officially on the truffle train. (On that note: I never host anything without including an adult edition of the loot bag – I think it’s the best part of putting an event together. Even though I’m not really the host here, given that people are taking the time and bringing me gifts, I feel the same level of host gratitude!)

In any case, I made three batches, one of each of their amazing recipes. Each batch makes 16 tablespoon-sized truffles, so be prepared to enjoy!

Chatelaine’s Decadent Chocolate Truffles

• 8oz package semi-sweet chocolate (I went for dark Valrhona from Williams Sonoma, as I am addicted to the stuff)
• 1/2C whipping cream
• 2T unsalted butter
• 1T corn syrup
• 1t vanilla
• 2T sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

Finely chop chocolate – and, yes, do this first. It is time consuming to get it ultra-fine! Also, be sure to transfer it from the cutting board to a small bowl to avoid melted chocolate powder all over your stovetop.

Once that’s done, combine your cream, butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan at medium heat, bringing the blend to a boil. Once it hits that stage, turn off the heat, tossing in the fine chocolate, vanilla, and alternate ingredients if you’re following any of the other versions below. Stir ’til it’s smooth, then place in a medium sized bowl in your fridge for an hour and twenty minutes, checking on it with a stir every twenty minutes. (The original recipe called for an hour, but mine was still pretty soft at that point.) It should be scoopable by the time you start the next stage.

I recommend some variation here from the original recipe, though you can try to ball it at this runny stage if you so desire! Scoop 1T at a time with a tablespoon or melon baller, placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet which will be returned to the fridge for another twenty minutes when the whole batch is rolled. They look more like macaroons at this stage than truffles, as the chocolate – particularly as you get closer to the bottom of the bowl – is still pretty soft. That’s okay, though, because the refining comes at the next stage, after you refrigerate the chocolate globs for twenty-five minutes or so.

Place cocoa – or whatever rolling ingredients your alternate version may call for – in a small bowl. Re-roll your now fairly firm truffles in a lovely ball and lightly cover each truffle, using a spoon to avoid fingerprinting the now-coated candies. Line a storage container with parchment paper and store in layers, separated by wax paper, for up to two weeks. Or, if you’re like me, put in little cute foil wrap thingos and find small truffle containers to give two at a time as gifts to your guests!

Alternate: Spicy Orange

Reduce whipping cream to 1/3C. Stir in 2T orange liquer (Grand Marnier), 1t grated orange peel, 1t cayenne. Continue with main recipe.

Alternate: Dark Espresso

Reduce whipping cream to 1/3C. Stir in 2T coffee liquer (Kahlua), 2t espresso granules. Continue with main recipe, and roll in toasted hazelnuts at the end.

Alternate: Caramel Crunch

Stir 1/2C Skor toffee bits into chocolate mixture. Additionally, rolling pin another 1/4C of the toffee bits for the cover. Continue with main recipe, and roll in a combination of shredded coconut and powdery toffee bits at the end.