Chocolate Praline Truffles

Debber's Note:

What a sweet addition to the holiday platter of Christmas cookies and confections! A bit fussy to make, but WELL WORTH the time and satisfaction of making your own. COOKING TIME includes "standing time" and chilling time....so don't just STAND there--CHILL out darling! Ho Ho Ho! Those gals at Gooseberry Patch sure know what they're doing, now don't they!?

• Total Time: 6 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 20

Yield: 4.0 dozen

First part

• 3 cups chopped pecans
• ½ cup brown sugar , packed
• 4 tablespoons whipping cream

Second Part

• 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons butter , pieced out
• 4 tablespoons almond liqueur

White Chocolate Variation or Substitutions

• white chocolate chips (for semi-sweet)
• almonds (for the pecans)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350; buttter a 10x15 jelly roll pan; set aside.
2. Stir together pecans, brown sugar and 4 T. whipping cream; spread in prepared pan; bake for 20 minutes (coating will be slightly crystallized); stir one time; remove from oven; stir the whole works (should be of "chopped nuts texture/consistence"--will be used for rolling the truffle/chocolate in later on) and cool.
3. Microwave the chocolate chips and remaining cream in a large bowl--about 3-4 minutes; whisk several times until smooth (microwave at 15-second intervals to prevent burning); whisk in the butter pieces and the almond liqueur; let stand 20 minutes.
4. Beat the chocolate mixture with an electric mixer for 4 minutes or until SOFT PEAKS form (do not overbeat!); cover and chill at least four hours.
5. Shape chocolate into one-inch balls, roll in pecan-sugar; cover and chill up to one week (who are we kidding? these will NOT last for one week!) or freeze for up to a month (seriously!?).