chocolate truffles

This past weekend my mom was out of town due to a mother's conference in Dallas with two of her best friends. So we had to manage by ourselves! It was the first time ever that she had been away from Lilly for a whole night. On Saturday I had my state OBU hymn competition, out in Shawnee, OK. I drove down with my piano teacher and her 2 13-year old daughters. It was so much fun! I got an over-all superior, but the judges judged a lot harder than before. This is the end of the line - but I wish it could go onto national level...But I'm really glad I don't have to practice those songs anymore!!

Don't these truffles look amazing? I found this recipe on Simply Recipes, an fabulous site for every recipe imaginable - even Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream! When I find the time, I'm going to try to make a batch. And the photography is just fantastic! I wish I could shoot like that... :D

Chocolate Truffles

Makes about 30-40 truffles

What you need:

-8 ounces of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), well chopped into small pieces -1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

-one teaspoon vanilla extract

-cocoa powder for coating

-finely chopped walnuts

-finely chopped almonds

NOTE: both the walnuts and almonds are optional, but if you do use them, use them instead of cocoa. Or, you could mix them in the chocolate batter and THEN roll them in the cocoa.

What you do:

-In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer (this may take a while, be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes).

-Place the chocolate in a separate bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate, add the vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. (This chocolate base is called ganache.)

-Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours. Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly (as it will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

-Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed.