Christmas Truffles
These Christmas-inspired chocolate truffles are decadent, delicious, and so cute! They are made with a luxurious chocolate ganache and topped with festive sprinkles and chocolate coating.
Servings: 15 truffles
Calories: 167kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate bar, finely chopped (or two 4-oz bars)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration
- Holiday sprinkles of your choice store-bought
- Holiday icing of your choice store-bought
- 8 ounces semi-sweet, dark, or white baking chocolate bar for covering, optional
Instructions
- Place the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Bring the heavy cream to a very light simmer (don’t boil) either over the stovetop or in the microwave oven. While it’s warm, add it to the finely chopped chocolate along with the vanilla extract. Stir to melt the chocolate until smooth and uniform. If it’s not melting, microwave for a few seconds. It should be a bit warm, but not very hot.
- Cover with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap should be directly touching the chocolate in order to avoid condensation. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours until set.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon mounds and arrange on a tray (I'd recommend using a cookie scoop). Then, roll into balls. Tip: Make sure the chocolate is very cold and fully set before rolling. If they start to get sticky, pop the tray into the freezer for a few minutes. If your hands get sticky, rinse hands with cold water and pat dry before continuing to roll into balls.
- Decorate truffles with sprinkles. You can also coat with melted chocolate (melt in the microwave oven) and top with extra sprinkles or icing.
- Let them set on the tray for a few minutes and then transfer to the fridge so they continue to set for another 20-30 minutes, especially if they are coated with chocolate. Enjoy at room temperature.
Notes
- Chocolate: Use good quality semi-sweet baking chocolate bars. I like to use Ghirardelli's brand. Do not use chocolate chips since they contain added fats and ingredients that could affect texture.
- The chocolate mixture NEEDS to refrigerate for 2 hours. Otherwise, it will get sticky and messy.
- If after 2 hours the chocolate is still very soft, perhaps you added too much heavy cream. Try re-melting the chocolate mixture over a double-boiler and add more chocolate.
- Make-ahead: The chocolate mixture can be made and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. If it's too hard, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before rolling.
- Freezing: The chocolate mixture can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Storage: Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy them cold or at room temperature.
- If it gets too sticky as you're rolling into balls, pop the tray of scooped out chocolate into the freezer for a few minutes. You can also rinse your hands in cold water and pat them dry before continuing.
- Substitutions:
- Semi-sweet chocolate baking bar (for filling): dark chocolate baking chocolate bar for more intense flavors.
- Heavy cream: You can also use CANNED full-fat coconut milk (not coconut milk drink). Do not use half-and-half or milk.
- Customizations:
- Toppings: Nuts, cocoa powder, icing, etc.
- Flavoring: Add a few drops of almond extract, orange extract, raspberry extract, etc.
Nutrition
Serving: 1truffle | Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg