Today, I am sharing my all time favorite treat to make for Valentine’s Day: Homemade Truffles. Chocolates are the epitome of Valentine’s Day and there is absolutely no reason to go out and buy them when they are so simple and fun to make in your very own kitchen.
I have been making this truffle recipe for years and it is the highlight of our Valentine’s Day. Making your own chocolates for your sweetie is unbelievable quick and easy with infinite variations. The ingredients are pretty basic: chocolate, butter, cream and extract.
You pick the chocolate (milk, dark, semi-sweet or a combination); you pick the flavor (mint, almond, vanilla, rum, coconut, orange, etc) and you pick the outside topping (nuts, cocoa powder, coconut, crushed candies, etc) for a truly unique and personalized gift.
This recipe is basically a ganache that you put in the fridge to firm up and then scoop the chocolate in to balls. For some reason my truffles were very soft this time around. If that happens to you, just put the ganache back in to the fridge to let it harden up some more. I think that the truffles I made (pictured above) are also way too big. I used a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and they are a mouth full of chocolate! I’d stick to a teaspoon or so for a good sized treat.
Edited: Kelsey left a great comment that I wanted to share. After the truffles are set and refrigerated, dip them in Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream Sauce That Hardens so they aren’t so soft! Thanks for the tip, Kelsey!
Homemade Chocolate Truffle Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon almond (or any flavor) extract
- 2/3 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
Toppings
- 1/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds (for nut truffles)
- Cocoa powder (for cocoa truffles)
- Coconut (for coconut truffles)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles form around the edge of pan, stirring constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add extract and chocolate; stir until smooth.
- Press plastic wrap onto surface of mixture.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop chocolate into a ball shape and drop in to desired topping.
- Coat truffles with topping by rolling them around.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
- Store in the refrigerator.