Sunday, March 4, 2012

Mouth-Watering Dark Chocolate Truffles


I'm back! Having taken a few months off from blogging during my musical season, I've definitely been making and creating some recipes worthy of sharing. Unfortunately I don't always write the particulars down right away and then I am left with the task of remembering exact amounts of ingredients. Luckily, these truffles are super simple to remember and equally simple to make if you are willing to deal with messy hands. I find that many of my favorite recipes are made with the fewest ingredients, and these truffles are no exception. As you know by now, I have a passion for creating healthier versions of recipes and the great thing about these truffles is that they taste decadent even though they are made with evaporated skim milk instead of heavy cream. You will never know the difference. And fun part is that you can make them different every time by varying the liqueur that you use and the ingredients that you roll them in. I used black raspberry liqueur and rolled them in large flake natural coconut, chopped pecans, and Dutch cocoa so we would have three different varieties. The coconut ones were my favorite, but I am anxious to try different combinations of flavors next time. A great little "healthy" treat, as long as you are capable of stopping at one or two!

Dark Chocolate Truffles
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 bag Ghiradelli 60% cacao chocolate chips
1-2 tablespoons black raspberry liqueur (or other liqueur)
2 (3 1/2 oz) bars 70% cacao chocolate (I used Lindt Excellent- the BEST dark chocolate IMO)
Choice of toppings- chopped nuts, coconut, cocoa, brown rice cereal, etc.

Heat the evaportated milk until scalding but not boiling. Pour over chocolate chips in a glass bowl and let sit one minute. Whisk until melted. If chips are not melted, microwave ten seconds at a time, whisking until melted. Whisk in liqueur. Refrigerate until thickened, whisking occasionally. Roll into balls, coating hands with cocoa to prevent sticking.
Melt 70% chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth. Dip balls in melted chocolate, coating evenly. Roll in topping and set on parchment lined cookie sheet. Set in refrigerator. Truffles should be stored in the refrigerator until eaten or the centers will become too soft.