Recipe Of The Month: Valentine's Day Truffles

It’s February, which means that Valentine’s Day is upon us! This holiday brings candy hearts, cherubs, roses, and of course chocolate! However, I find that working with chocolate oftentimes scares people. It seems fancy and hard, so people tend to stay away. But, in fact, it’s much simpler than you might expect! So today, I will be teaching you (yes, you!) how to make two (yes two) types of simple chocolate truffles.

Chocolate truffles are thought to have originated in France. What’s great about them is they’re made with simple ingredients and can be paired with many other treats. They are simple, pretty, and romantic! Sure to make your Valentine’s Day special.

Let’s get started!

Ingredients: Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Truffle

8 oz. cream cheese-softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup cool whip
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup fresh raspberries-washed and well dried
3/4 cup graham crackers crumbs
15 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate-coarsely chopped

Getting Started

Step 1: Mix the cream cheese, powder sugar, & vanilla until creamed together. Then mix in the cool whip, raspberries, & gram crackers. Set in the freezer for two hours. These take a while, so be patient.

Step 2: Chop your chocolate into small bits and place the bits into a bowl. Set the bowl aside until you are ready to roll your filling in the chocolate. Once ready, melt in the microwave at 20-second intervals, stirring in between each time.

Step 3: Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet. With a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, drop dollops of the cheesecake mixture onto the parchment paper. Shape each dollop with your hand into a nice round ball and place it on the baking sheet.

Step 4: Place the mixture balls back into the freezer for two more hours

Step 5: After the two hours, remove and place the mixture balls into the melted chocolate

Step 6: Set the truffles aside and place your toppings (nuts, sprinkles, fruit, etc.) on the top. Then, place them back in the freezer for a minimum of five minutes. After that, enjoy!

Instructions: Classic Chocolate Truffles

Step 1: Finely chop the chocolate bars and place in a heatproof bowl. Add butter to the chocolate and set aside.

Step 2: Heat the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl just until it starts to bubble and no more. If you heat the cream too hot it will ruin the chocolate.

Step 3: Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and butter and let it sit for five minutes. Add the vanilla and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the chocolate pressing it against the surface of the chocolate. Refrigerate for an hour.