If you like holiday treats that are easy to make and take very little effort, then these are for you!
Of course, the base of these truffles is really good chocolate. I started with a base of 85% dark chocolate, because that's what I keep on hand most times. A few other options you have would be unsweetened baking chocolate, a Lily's Baking Bar, or sugar free chocolate chips. If you choose to use unsweetened baking chocolate, you can use a few teaspoons of THM Super Sweet to get the sweetness where you want it. You can also use a few drops of liquid stevia if you want to sweeten any of the already-sweetened options just a tad.
I flavored up the chocolate using instant espresso, a pinch of pink salt, and Kahlua coffee liqueur.
The only "work" (I use that term very loosely here) involved is whisking the heated cream into the chocolate.
Whisk, whisk, whisk.
Then you get to this stage.
Notice, the chocolate is melted but the texture looks "gritty." This means the butter has yet to be fully incorporated, and the mixture is still "broken." Keep whisking, maybe even a bit more vigorously...
Then you get this!
Velvety smooth, rich chocolate.
At this point, you have two options: cover and refrigerate to accelerate the hardening process or let the mixture stand (covered) until it stiffens at room temperature. If you don't want to portion them out right away, I would suggest refrigeration until about 20-30 minutes before you're ready to roll.
As far as coating goes, you can really use any nuts that you like. Pecans or pistachios would be great here! I chose to use finely chopped hazelnuts, because chocolate LOVES hazelnuts.
Using a small scoop will be your best, and easiest, bet for portioning these out. Plus, it'll keep your hands pretty clean. Scoop the chocolate, turn it directly into the chopped nuts, toss lightly to coat, then roll the truffle gently between your hands and set aside. Lather, rinse, repeat...
Once they're all rolled, store them in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator until use. They keep fine at room temperature (for gift boxes and such), but for long-term store in the fridge.
Don't they look divine? Rich chocolate spiked with espresso and Kahlua, rolled in crunchy hazelnuts. Beautiful as a holiday gift, dessert, or as an everyday treat in your fridge.
If you liked this recipe, try my Orange Spiced Truffles next! You won't be sorry. ^_~
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