Rich Chocolate Truffles

Marg (CaymanDesigns)'s Note:

I made these one year and gave them as Christmas gifts. They were the most popular presents I ever gave! I can't remember yield and times exactly now so they are a guess with cook time being chill time.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 24

• 1 2⁄3; cups whipping cream
• ½ cup real butter (no substitute)
• 8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate , chopped
• 1 1⁄3; cups semi-sweet chocolate chips , chopped
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon liqueur

Coating

• 12 -18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or 12 -18 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 2 -3 tablespoons shortening
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon milk

Directions:

1. In saucepan, combine whipping cream & butter.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture boils; remove from heat. Stir in chocolates until melted; continue stirring until mixture cools & thickens slightly.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Pour into shallow glass dish.
5. Cover; chill until firm.
6. With spoon scoop mixture into 1 inch balls.
7. Coating Melt chocolate & shortening over low heat; stirring constantly.
8. (use 1 Tbsp of shortening for every 6 oz. of chocolate).
9. When mixture is smooth remove from heat. Dip each truffle into coating.
10. (I found dr opping them in the chocolate & then fishing them out with a spoon worked best. But work quickly or they will melt) Then either place them on foil or in foil candy papers & allow to harden.
11. Mix powdered sugar & milk.
12. Drizzle over truffles in various designs.

Reviews

[Fred Grier]

I was concerned at first - with so much butter in this recipe, it made the balls very difficult to coat. However, I improvised with a thick coat of the suggested white icing over the mess of chocolate. Since I added peppermint instead of vanilla, I decided to sprinkle peppermint flakes (from dicing up candy canes) on top. Recipients were thrilled. they told me that these were better than store bought! I've received so many e-mails and thanks for my hard work. These are worth the trouble.