Great Gift for Mother’s Day: Homemade Chocolate Truffles
Does your mom love chocolate? Many moms do. If you’ve never made homemade chocolate truffles, they’re a great gift for Mother’s Day. Take a look at these recipes to find the one your mom will enjoy most! These homemade chocolate truffles may take a while to make, but the results will be well worth the effort and the wait.
Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
* 10 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
* 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
* ½ cup heavy cream
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* ¼ cup brandy
* ½ cup processed Dutch cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, or toasted coconut to use as coating
* 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter into a medium glass mixing bowl. Microwave them for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl and stir the ingredients. Replace and repeat a second time. Set the bowl aside.
Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Heat this over medium until it begins to simmer. Remove it from the heat and add the chocolate mixture into it. Let this stand for 2 minutes. Beginning in the center of the bowl, stir gently with a rubber spatula making concentric circles until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour this into an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for about an hour.
When the chocolate has cooled, use a melon ball to scoop the chocolate and place the balls on parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Return the chocolate to the refrigerator for 30 more minutes.
Place the cocoa powder, chopped nuts and toasted coconut each in a separate bowl or pie pan. Set them aside. Melt the 8 ounces of chocolate in a medium glass mixing bowl which has been set on top of a heating pad. Adjust the temperature to begin melting the chocolate and allow it to reach between 90 to 92 degrees but no higher than 94 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the truffles and roll them with vinyl or latex glove-covered hands. Dip the truffles, one at a time, in the melted chocolate and then whatever topping your mom prefers. Leave the truffle in the coating for at least 10 to 15 seconds and then place on clean parchment paper. Allow them to dry for at least an hour and then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Some moms don’t like traditional chocolate. In fact they prefer white chocolate instead. Try this White Chocolate Truffles recipe if your mom prefers white chocolate.
White Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
* ¼ cup butter
* ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 egg yolk
* 8 ounces white chocolate, broken into small pieces
* 1 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over low heat. Be sure to stir constantly. Remove it from the heat when it has melted. Add the sugar, egg yolk and almond extract. Beat this with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into a shallow glass casserole, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Shape the cooled mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the almonds, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Store the truffles in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Serve in miniature foil cups at room temperature.
To change the flavor, add different flavored liqueur or brandy. You can also add peanut butter with the chocolate and cream if Mom loves peanut butter. In fact, with homemade chocolate truffles, the possibilities are endless.