Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles
Originally uploaded by watchjennybake.

This is what I brought my hard-working students for Valentines Day. Half were rolled in pink + red sugar, half were rolled in cocoa powder. The recipe is something I found on the label of a condensed milk can a few years ago, and have been making it ever since. How can something with only three ingredients taste so good? (And keep reading to find out how to make it even better!)

Chocolate Truffles
(recipe found on Eaglebrand.com)

Ingredients
3 cups (18 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Coatings: Finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa, confectioners' sugar or colored sugars

Instructions
In large saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with condensed milk. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Pour into medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm.
Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in desired coating and/or decorate with frosting and candies. Chill 1 hour or until firm. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

My notes - you can substitute the vanilla extract for any other extract, or even a bit of flavored liquor. Grand marnier would be nice, for instance.

One year I rolled these in chili powder, a la the movie Chocolat, but you have to make sure you are using pure chili powder, not the kind with onion and garlic added.

The quality of chocolate is key here. Spend an extra dollar and buy Ghiradelli, but stay with the semi-sweet. I tried bittersweet once and it just didn't work as well. I also always add a pinch of salt. It really improves the depth of flavor in the truffles.

To make these even better, you can chill them and then dunk them in tempered chocolate, preferably of a different variety (bittersweet or milk chocolate), and then roll in desired toppings. The tempered chocolate will harden and will result in a more professional crispy bite into the truffle.

I have so many stories that involve these truffles. One year I made them for my student workers during finals week. It was a Saturday, when I lived in Indiana, and there were tornado warnings that included a black sky, torential rains, and people hiding in stairwells. Luckily, the music library was a safe place, and one student said in a small voice, "At least I had these truffles."

Categories: Candy, Chocolate