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Aliya LeeKong
  • Home
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3-Ingredient Chocolate Truffles

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3-INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

With Valentine's Day just a few days away, chocolate is on the brain.  Nothing says “I love you” more than a double decker box of chocolates…but making your own chocolate truffles is way simpler than most people think (and who doesn't prefer a handmade gift?). 

This is a super simple, 3-ingredient recipe to get you started to make decadent, silky, chocolate truffles.  Then, if you want, you can tailor to your preferences.  I'm including options for flavorings to add to the base or leave the recipe as is and just coat the truffles in a different ways (think cocoa powder, crushed pistachios, shredded coconut, etc…).  Enjoy!

Yields approximately 2 dozen truffles

12 ounces dark, semisweet or milk chocolate chips, roughly chopped (1 bag)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt

Place the chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl.  In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream and salt to a simmer, just enough to dissolve the salt and watch that it doesn't boil over.  Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes before stirring.  Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth (this is also the time to add any liquid ingredients for flavor).

Allow to cool at room temperature for an hour.  Using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop the truffles onto parchment paper.  Place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up a bit.  Roll in the palm of your hands to get them perfect (but quickly or they will start to melt!).  Roll them in whatever toppings you like and enjoy!

Mix-ins: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons liqueur (coffee, rum, Grand Marnier, kirsch), 1 tablespoon orange blossom water, 1 tablespoon espresso, 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract

To Coat: cocoa powder (with or without cinnamon, cardamom, etc), sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut, crushed nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios), sprinkles, flake sea salt (just a pinch on top!)

 

 

tags: Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day gift, what to give for Valentine's day, chocolate, chocolate recipes, chocolate desserts, chocolate truffles
categories: all 3, blog, desserts, holiday, lifestyle-1, quick & easy, recipes
Friday 02.12.16
Posted by Aliya LeeKong
 

Champurrado

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Champurrado

Seriously, I feel like I’ve been missing something.  Mexican chocolate.  I mean I’ve had a Mexican hot chocolate before but have never experienced the pure form of it.  The deliciously sugary, cinnamony thick tablets of sweet dark chocolate.  It’s a serious love affair, and I’m going to find more and more reasons to sneak these into desserts…or my morning coffee.  You’ve been warned – forgoing the recipe in favor of just eating the chocolate did not seem like an outlandish option after the first bite.

Atoles are a group of masa-based Mexican and Central American hot drinks with champurrado a specifically chocolate one.  The drink consists of water or milk with masa, spices like cinnamon and/or anise, and chocolate in the case of champurrado.  The masa acts as a thickening agent to create a drink that can range in thickness from a pudding-like consistency to a thinner liquid.

As the weather continues to cool, the thought of a warm, spicy chocolate drink crept into my mind, and I thought I would explore this version over the traditional Mexican hot chocolate.  Champurrado is actually a Christmas drink, though it’s also had for breakfast, often with churros.  That’s the breakfast of champions if I ever knew one….would not mind it myself.

I happened to find this luscious Ibarra Mexican chocolate at Whole Foods along with the masa harina I used to thicken it.  Although the chocolate is sweetened and has cinnamon, I added a touch more of both along with some vanilla bean for good measure.  The result is thick, rich, warmly spiced deep hot chocolate with a hint of that sweet corn flavor.  Totally addictive.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 4

4 cups milk

2 tablets Mexican chocolate, chopped into little pieces

1/3 cup masa harina

¼ cup light brown sugar

½ tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick (optional)

½ vanilla bean, split and scraped or ¼ tsp vanilla powder (optional)

Procedure

In a saucepan, warm 1 cup of milk on low (want it warm enough to melt the chocolate).  Pour into blender and add chocolate pieces and masa harina.  Blend on high for 30 seconds, and strain back into the saucepan.

Add remaining milk and ingredients and heat on medium-low.  You want to slowly bring the mixture up.   Once the mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and let simmer 10 minutes until it thickens and the cinnamon and vanilla have infused.

Serve immediately!

FYI – It’s natural for a skin to form as you’re cooking.  Feel free to remove before pouring.

tags: Mexican chocolate, hot chocolate, chocolate recipes, holiday recipes
categories: drinks & cocktails, breakfast, recipes, all-6
Tuesday 11.02.10
Posted by Aliya LeeKong