by: Julie Robinson
As Valentine’s Day approaches, it cannot be denied that many of us are thinking of that one special person that we like, love, or even hate. Thankfully, my first love will never forget nor forsake me. And my first love is, without question or hesitation, chocolate. Yes, I admit our relationship isn’t perfect, and we’ve been through some rough times including the time I ate an entire bag of M&Ms in one sitting, and my stomach hurt for an entire day. But I would say we have a pretty strong relationship excluding a few low points. I have spent countless nights sitting on my bed watching a movie with one of my very best friends – chocolate icing. Another high point in our relationship is the time I had a chocolate fountain at my 16th birthday party. So because of my great love for chocolate, I decided to make truffles this month.
At first I thought this endeavor might be challenging, and as I looked for recipes, I found this to be true. Most of the recipes were complicated, and as an inexperienced chef, I try to find the simplest recipes that I know I can do well. So, after much searching, I found the perfect recipe. It has only three ingredients: 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, half a cup of heavy whipping cream, and half a teaspoon of vanilla. I heated the heavy cream over medium to low heat until it was simmering, stirring constantly to keep it from scalding. In a separate mixing bowl, I combined the chocolate and vanilla. I poured the cream over the chocolate/vanilla mixture and stirred until the chocolate was melted. Then came the hard part: I was supposed to let the mixture chill in the fridge for two hours, but I impatiently put the mixture into the freezer for 20 minutes instead. When it was chilled I rolled tablespoon-sized amounts into truffles then rolled the truffles in cocoa powder. I thought my truffles were delicious and am not ashamed when I truthfully say I ate all 30, my sister as my witness. I will definitely be using that simple recipe again, but maybe next time I’ll share my truffles.
If you would like some high quality truffles without having to make them yourself, C’est La Vie sells wonderful ones. I will warn you: their truffles are expensive but worth it. They will serve as a great pick-me-up on the dreaded holiday that is known to many of us as Singles’ Awareness Day.
