Chocolate Truffles

I finally had the courage to make chocolate truffles knowing that I would have to muster every ounce of internal willpower to avoid eating them in one sitting.  I made these not only to spruce up the variety on my blog, but also as an after dinner treat—my fiance and I love to snack on chocolate after a meal occasionally.  It’s nice to have something small to share rather than a whole dessert.  These truffles turned out to be too dense to have on your own–especially for someone like me who tries to keep my sugar intake at a very low level–but proved to be delicious for someone who lives life with reckless abandon.  I admit, I did come home one night and popped one in my mouth after a night out on the town.  I tried to hide it from Jim, but he caught me.  Oh well.  It happens.

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Truffles:

Melt 6 oz. of semisweet chocolate in a makeshift double boiler.  You can create one by steaming water in a saucepan and placing a heatproof bowl over the saucepan, making sure it doesn’t touch the steaming water underneath.  Put the chocolate in the bowl and stir.  As it melts, add 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of almond extract.  I didn’t have any almond-flavored liqueur handy, such as amaretto, so I used almond extract as a substitute.  Then I stirred in about a half cup of ground almonds and 1 3/4 oz. of confectioner’s sugar. When the chocolate is completely melted, take it off the heat and let it cool until it’s firm enough to roll into little balls.  I used a spoon and then rolled it in my hands. Afterwards, I set the truffles into a paper baking cup, onto a pan, and then in the fridge to allow firming. Some balls were dipped in unsweetened chocolate powder, but I kept most of them simple, with no coating.  Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!