The Truffle Experiment – Peppermint Dark Chocolate, Pumpkin Gingersnap, and Peanut Butter and Bacon Truffles

Perfect Pairing: Styrofoam drying method

 Ok, where do I start?  My mom had some cute trays that she wanted to give as gifts, so we discussed what we could include on the trays.  Truffles seemed like an obvious choice.  Forget the fact that we had never made truffles, let alone tempered chocolate, or made candy in general.  As long as we were getting after it, we might as well make three versions! 

I decided on Peppermint and Dark Chocolate, Pumpkin Gingersnap, and Peanut Butter Bacon truffles.  I made a quick trip to World Market and found some items like pre-chopped peppermint chips, adorable mini liners to hold the truffles, and all of the necessary chocolate.  We were ready to open Willy Wonka’s. 

There are quite a few steps involved in the making of truffles, and they do take quite a bit of time with all of the chilling, but they were actually very easy, and dare I say… fun? The pictures below show the various steps for all three versions.

We kicked things off with the Peanut Butter and Bacon truffles.  I mean, how can you go wrong?

Some of the bacon was set aside to top the truffles.  We ran into some issues with people snacking on it.

 Next up were the dark chocolate versions with peppermint.  After the inside of the truffle is made you have to let it chill until it starts to harden.  Then, you scoop out the desired size and chill again.  We wanted to make them on the small side, since you really just need a bite.  This mini stainless steel spring scoop was a great time-saver. Scoop, drop, scoop, drop…. You get it.

 After another round in the freezer they are ready to be rolled into perfect spheres with the palms of your hands.  Then you stick a toothpick in the middle of each truffle and return them to the freezer.  The toothpick is part of my perfect pairing, “Styrofoam drying method”.  Stick with me.

 Next up is melting/tempering the chocolate.  Tempering the chocolate is not 100% necessary, but it is supposed to make the surface shiny and the chocolate will “snap” when you bite into the truffle.  I was stationed right by the chocolate over the double boiler so I could remove it as soon as it got to 110 degrees F.  For some unknown reason when I took it off the heat the temperature kept going up.  I think it got up to 135 or something.  I blame the thermometer.  So, for the record I did attempt to temper the chocolate but I’m pretty sure I screwed it up.  Either way, it worked out just fine.  My truffles may not snap in your mouth, but I’m over it.

Time to dip! My mom is so smart.  She came up with the idea to cover Styrofoam in plastic wrap to hold the drying truffles.  Brilliant.  The plastic wrap keeps the foam clean so you can use it again next year.  Holding the toothpick I would dip the truffle into the melted chocolate (or almond bark for the pumpkin version) until it almost completely coats the truffle.  I left a little space at the bottom so it did not stick to the toothpick and so they would stay put and not roll away.  Then you stick the toothpick into the foam.  We set the blocks outside in the chilly air until they hardened.  Then you slip the truffle off the toothpick and they can be gently stacked in a container and frozen until ready to use.

My mom came up with another great idea for displaying the truffles on the small tray.  She was afraid the liners would slide around so she put a dot of chocolate on the bottom of the liner and stuck it to the tray.  It worked beautifully.

Since we made about 180 truffles we had to come up with innovative ways to give them away. 

 We also ordered these cute confection boxes.

The truffles may not be as easy as the Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels, but I think we may have found a new tradition.  They are delicious and so stinking cute!  I love them and I love giving them away.

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Un-Recipe Files - Candy Corn Mix

I feel like I have been slipping with the fall/Halloween themed recipes this year.  Here are a few items from last year that may be perfect for this week’s Halloween parties.

Halloween Candy Bark 

O’Henry Bars

Pumpkin Taco Dip

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Weenie Roast Ideas

Light Pumpkin Cheesecakes

I am definitely in a Halloween mood after this weekend.  I went out to the suburbs and did a little trick or treating with my niece and nephews.  The cutest hippie and skeleton I have ever seen.  I didn’t get a picture of the ninja.  He was pretty cute too!

The kids were able to get a jump start on the trick or treating by going around to participating local businesses. I think they need some training on trick or treating best practices.  They were picking gummy teeth over Snickers and Smarties over Reese’s.  They’ll learn.

I have mixed emotions about candy corn.  I have no desire to eat it by itself but absolutely love it when it is paired with something salty like popcorn or peanuts.  So this un-recipe file is obviously nothing new or innovative, but just a reminder of what to do with the candy corn that always shows up this time of year. Mix it with salted peanuts or salted mixed nuts and it becomes the perfect pairing.

My mom mixed up a canister of candy corn and peanuts and put it out with a little tag for the workers at their new house.  She said they emptied it an afternoon so she refilled it and the same thing happened the next day.  There is just something addictive about that combination!

Happy Halloween!

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Halloween Candy Bark

Perfect Pairing:  Halloween Oreos

What is Halloween without candy and sweet treats?  This cute Halloween Candy Bark is full of candy corn, cookies, sprinkles and white chocolate goodness.  The addition of salty pretzels helps balance out the sweetness.  It is a fun treat to make since you can be really creative with the decoration.  I used a combination of candy corn, black sugar, and Halloween themed sprinkles.

The Perfect Pairing for this bark is Halloween Oreos.  You could definitely make this with regular Oreos but I love the bright orange frosting! 

Start off by crushing up your pretzels and Oreos and spread them onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.  I recommend breaking them up on a separate tray to reduce the amount of crumbs.

Pour the white chocolate/almond bark over the pieces and spread it out carefully.  Top it off with your favorite decorations and allow to cool until it has completely hardened.  Serve it up in your favorite Halloween serving piece!

It will be gone before you know it!

 

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