Welcome 2016 with Hazelnut and Almond Truffles

If you love hazelnut flavored desserts and Frangelico or Almonds and Amaretto you will absolutely love these truffles! Serve these small decadent bon bons at your New Years Eve party (or any party) this year or make them and give out as party favors! Below you will find my 2 favorite recipes.

TOOLS

 bain marie double boiler for melting chocolate
rubber spatula
measuring spoons and cups
chefs knife
chopping board
food scale
2-3 metal mixing bowls
1 quart saucepan
whisk
strainer
rectangular glass bowl w/ lid (for cooling chocolate ganache)
plastic wrap
 parchment or wax paper
4 baking sheets

specialty truffle tools - I found mine at amazon.com, michaels, joanns, sur la table...
1" scooper/baller
candy/truffle dipping tools

30 small fluted paper cups (optional)
truffle boxes - www.papermart.com 

GIADUJA HAZELNUT TRUFFLES

Gianduja is a blend of chocolate and hazelnuts. By itself it is delicious, as a truffle center it's heavenly.

INGREDIENTS
12oz Giaduja, finely chopped
1-3/4 lbs bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped or as chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp Frangelico or hazelnut flavored liqueur
3-4 tbsp cocoa powder
red sugar sprinkles

DIRECTIONS
Place 12oz of Gianduja and 4oz of bittersweet chocolate in a 2-quart mixing bowl together. 

In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil. 
Pour the hot cream over a strainer and into the bowl with the chocolate.

Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then stir together with a whisk until thoroughly blended. Stir in the Frangelico and blend well.

 Cover the truffle cream with plastic wrap and let cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until thick but not stiff. (2 to 3 hours).

Line 2 baking sheets with waxed parchment paper. Using a small 1" scoop form the truffle cream into round mounds about 1 inch in diameter.  Chill in the refrigerator for 6 about hours or overnight.

Dust your hands with some of the cocoa powder and roll the mounds into balls. These will be the truffle centers. Cover and chill for another 2 hours in the freezer. 

Remove the truffle centers from the freezer and bring to cool room temperature so the outer coating won't crack when they are dipped into the chocolate.

Line 2 more baking sheets with waxed paper.

 Using the double boiler on very low flame melt and temper the remaining 1-1/2 pounds of bittersweet chocolate. Turn off the stove. Stir with the spatula to make sure the chocolate coating is evenly smooth.

 

 Using your truffle dipper tools place a truffle center into the tempered chocolate coating it completely. With a dipper or fork, remove the center from the chocolate, carefully shake off the excess chocolate and turn the truffle out onto the wax or parchment paper. 

 

 After dipping 4 truffles, dust the tops of them lightly with some of the remaining cocoa or decorate with colored sugar sprinkles of your choice before the chocolate sets up.

This recipe makes about 60 1" truffles
 

Let the truffles set up at room temperature, or chill them in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.

When the truffles are set, place them in paper candy cups and serve or place in candy boxes for gifting!

To save your truffles for another time or if you want to make in advance for another occasion place each truffle carefully in a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the truffles will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. Truffles are best served at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from Truffles, candies and confections by Carole Bloom

AMARETTO APRICOT MARZIPAN TRUFFLES
These little dark chocolate lovelies are made up of an amaretto liqueur-enhanced dark chocolate ganache with bits of chopped dried apricots and almond paste.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup soft dried apricot halves, finely chopped

1/4 cup Amaretto di Saronno

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 pound plus 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped

5 oz almond paste, cut into 1/3 inch dice

Dutch processed cocoa powder

edible gold shimmer dust

DIRECTIONS

Combine 1/2 chopped apricots and 2 tbsp amaretto in a small saucepan and heat on a low flame for 5-10  minutes until fruit is plump and liquid is almost absorbed.

Place 8 oz chocolate in a medium sized metal or glass mixing bowl.

Place heavy cream in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.

 Remove from heat and with the strainer over the chocolate bowl, pour the heavy cream into the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. 

The heat should melt the chocolate. 
With spatula stir chocolate gently until it becomes beautiful, smooth and shiny melted chocolate. Add 2 tbsp of amaretto.

Fold in apricot-amaretto and almond paste into the ganache.

Before you add the diced almond paste crumble it into the ganache mixture so that the diced bits remain separate and don't clump together.

Pour contents into a shallow bowl and cool to room temperature first. Then chill covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or overnight.

Coat your hands with cocoa powder and roll ganache into 1" balls using a small ice cream scoop and place in a single layer and several rows onto a wax paper lined baking tray.

Make sure it will fit in your refrigerator! Chill until very firm. About 2 hours or overnight.

Temper the remaining chocoalte. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. 

 With the dipping tool, dip one truffle at a time into the melted chocolate. Making as thin and even a coating as possible. Place each truffle on the baking sheet. While cooling down sprinkle each truffle with your desired holiday sprinkle. I chose edible gold dust!

Refrigerate until firm. Place truffles in fluted cups, if desired and serve at room temperature. 
Makes about 30. Truffles will last up to a month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

Recipe adapted from Truffles by Dede Wilson

HAPPY 2016 EVERYONE!!