Christmas Sweets: Make Easy Truffles

This is the time of year for indulgences, a guilt-free pass to enjoy home-baked cookies and Christmas sweets.

Rich and creamy, Dark Chocolate Truffles are one such indulgence. They’re an elegant treat that’s surprisingly easy to make.

You’ll simply heat cream, add butter, then chocolate chips, melt everything down, chill, shape into balls, then roll in the coating of your choice. Made ahead, these truffles will keep for two weeks in the fridge.

Like all worthwhile endeavors, shaping truffles takes a bit of practice. Expect to get your hands messy and sticky with chocolate; you’ll have to wash them off a few times before you’re done. And if you’re not careful, you can smear chocolate on the coating and get chocolate fingerprints everywhere. Keep paper towels handy.

Note: this post was written during the COVID pandemic and reflects thoughts and actions of the time.

Chocolate Truffles are Right for Now

The COVID situation has upended Christmas plans for some families. The CDC guidelines seem so daunting that our family has chosen to forgo our holiday traditions this year. As we did at Thanksgiving, we will gather over Zoom.

Even if it’s just your household and not a bigger family dinner, set a beautiful table.

Here’s where chocolate truffles come in:

• If you plan a pared-down Christmas dinner, serve chocolate truffles as dessert and skip making a fancy finale.
• Planning to gather outdoors for dessert? Plate some truffles, along with a few Christmas cookies, for each guest and wrap individually. Serve mulled wine, spiced cider, eggnog, or coffee in throwaway cups. Provide doggie bags for guests to take home any sweets left over from their plate.
• Are there people you wish to thank for their kindness this year? Friends who have been buying your groceries or running errands? A box of homemade chocolate truffles can be a lovely way to show your appreciation.

• Finally, I usually have a little treat for each person at my holiday table, that also serves as a place card. This year, I’ll send along truffles, tucked in little cellophane bags and packed in snowflake boxes, to Miss T and Little N’s family, for their Christmas dinner.

About these Dark Chocolate Truffles

The recipe that I’ve adapted is from my days working on PR for the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company years ago, when the company launched a major reformulation of its chocolate.

This recipe is for dark chocolate lovers; if that’ s not to your taste, try semi-sweet chocolate chips. Just be sure to use good-quality chocolate. I used Ghirardelli.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 bag (10 ounces) good-quality Bittersweet Baking Chocolate Chips (60% cacao), about 1 3/4 cups
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or other coatings (see notes below)

In a small saucepan, over low heat, bring the cream just to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl or baking dish.

Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop the mixture and shape lightly with your fingers or roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cocoa or other coatings.

If you are using other coatings, place the truffle ball in the coating dish to coat the bottom, then spoon coating on top the ball and all around. Otherwise, your coatings will get smeared with chocolate from your hands.

When all the truffles are formed, wash you hands and gently press with your fingertips to smooth out any misshapen balls.

Makes about 30 truffles.

Notes

• Forming the balls is a messy process. Be prepared to get chocolate all over your fingers and hands and to wash your hands occasionally as you shape the balls.
• It’s not easy to get perfectly round shapes, but that’s fine. In real-life, truffles come in all sizes and vastly irregular shapes.
• Instead of cocoa powder, you can coat truffles with chopped toasted nuts such as almonds or hazelnuts, crushed candy canes, or cookie decorating sprinkles.
• Refrigerate truffles in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

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