Peppermint Truffles

Every year around Christmas, I like to make some sort of candy item to bring to parties and

give to friends. This year it was peppermint truffles. Balls of peppermint-flavored chocolate

ganache are dipped in more chocolate and then sprinkled with peppermint crunch.

Ingredients:

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

4 candy canes, or peppermint crunch

12 oz. of 60% cacao chocolate chips

Put the candy canes in a food processor and pulse them until they are crushed to small pieces.

You can also find them already crushed in a bag or even a product called "peppermint crunch".

Pictured belowed is "peppermint crunch".

Just make sure the pieces are small enough to be sprinkled on top of the truffles.

Put the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it is almost boiling. Bubbles will appear around the edges.

Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit a minute. Then take a spatula or whisk and stir

the chocolate and cream together until smooth and incorporated. Add the peppermint extract and the butter

and continue to stir until the butter is melted and the ganache is silky smooth.

Put the bowl of ganache in the refrigerator for a couple hours. After the ganache is cool and firm, using a melon baller or a spoon, scoop enough ganache to roll into a 1 inch ball. Roll the ganache between your hands then

place it on a wax-paper lined tray. Roll all the ganache into balls and place the tray in the freezer.

After the truffles are cooled for maybe 15 mins., roll them again so they are smooth and even.

Pictured below are the finished truffles ready for dipping:

Return the truffles to the freezer. Meanwhile, melt the 60% cacao chocolate chips in a double-boiler. Keeping the truffles in the freezer, take one at a time and dip it into the melted chocolate. Use a candy dipping tool or two forks to dip and drain each truffle.

Then place the dipped truffle on another tray lined with wax paper.

Immediately sprinkle the truffle with candy cane bits or peppermint crunch. This has to be done one

at a time. The chocolate hardens quickly.

Once all the truffles are dipped and sprinkled, put the tray into the refrigerator for hardening.

After about an hour, the truffles can be removed from the tray and placed into a container.

Keep them refrigerated. They are now ready to serve! Recipe makes appoximatedly 24 truffles.

#truffles #peppermint #candy #chocolate