If you are a chocoholic, you know it. Even before it was a food fad or the healthy food item to eat, I have loved chocolates, especially dark chocolate.
Who doesn’t enjoy the richness of chocolate, the flavor of the chocolate and the sweetness of the sugar? Throughout my travels I make it a point to search and find a local chocolatier in the location of my visits. On one of my trips to Brussels, Belgium, I have to admit that I had the best chocolate that I have ever tasted in my life.
My sampling method is to scour the area for a chocolatier and walk in off the street, buying just one or two pieces. That’s all I needed to satisfy my chocolate hunger for the moment. But, before I leave the area a larger purchase is made so that I can enjoy an afternoon snack or the end of a great day.
This recipe has a story behind it. It started out as a baking gesture and became a tradition with friends and family during the holiday seasons. My gift to visitors was a tin filled with my favorite sweets and of course one the treats were the chocolate truffles.
There was a condition, as you accepted the tin, you had to return it, empty of course, so that I could refill it again. Once the holidays were over, I would store the empty tins until the next season. The funny thing is I got more returned tins, than I gave out! So, I would call that proof that the sweets were enjoyed and I hope you enjoy these too.
Here’s an easy homemade, hand rolled recipe for chocolate truffles. My father liked the toasted coconut and my mother the untoasted coconut, so I make them both. I like walnuts or hazelnuts, your choice of nuts, it’s up you.
Table of Contents
Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
- 1 lb semisweet chocolate chips or bars
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- ¼ cup of coconut
- ¼ cup of finely chopped nuts
- ¼ coco powder
Preparation:
- Pour the semisweet chips into a bowl and set them aside. In a saucepan you want to bring the cream to a boil and pour the cream into the semisweet chocolate chips bowl. You will see the chocolate chips start to melt immediately. You want to stir this chocolate mixture until it’s creamy and smooth. And then you’re going to allow the chocolate mixture to chill for about an hour.
- While the chocolate is chilling divide half of your coconut and put that half on a cookie sheet. Turn the oven on broil and allow the coconut to turn brown, not crispy. You want a pretty brown color not a crunch to the coconut. You now have plain coconut and toasted coconut, set them aside in separate bowls.
- Next take the nuts of your choice and grind them into a medium grind so that you can see the pieces. You don’t want a powder. Set the nuts aside in a small bowl.
- Your fourth flavor is the coco powder that you put into a small bowl and set aside. This one is my favorite flavor because in one bite you have the combination of tastes between the bitter of the coco powder and the sweetness of chocolate.
- Once the chocolate is chilled, you’re going to start rolling it into bite sized balls. I suggest that you wear gloves as your body temperature will melt the chocolate as you handle it. Roll each of the balls into the coatings of coconut, coco and nuts and set them on a tray until you are ready to chill them.
- When they are chilled, you can serve them in a paper candy cup, which you can find at a bakers store or set them into a candy dish.
My mouth is watering for them already, enjoy!
