Sweets For Your Sweetie: Espresso Truffles

I like mine dark. Chocolate. Meat. Um, other stuff that’s dark that I can’t think of right now. You get my drift. And these truffles are just that, dark. Mr. Bundt, a lover of coffee, the stronger the better, loves dark chocolate too. I know he’ll love these truffles. Maybe your sweetie would like some too?

Don’t be alarmed by the espresso, it’s hardly any at all. In fact, if I were to make these again I would at least double the espresso. But, if you’re not a coffee fan, leave it out. No big deal.

Remember that candy truffles are supposed to be like the truffles pigs find in the woods. Yeah, for real. So they should look rustic. You don’t work for the Lindt factory. Perfection is in the taste. And on that note, use the best quality chocolate you can find. Cause that’s all you’re going to taste, it’s not going to be camouflaged by eggs, butter, and sugar.

Espresso Truffes

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Gather your ingredients and chop your chocolate. I found that breaking up the chocolate in the wrappers was the easiest way to go. The heat from your hands doesn’t melt it and it doesn’t go all over the place. If you need to chop it a little more once it’s unwrapped, by all means, go for it.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and espresso powder over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture bubbles around the edges (2-3 minutes) remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate.

Stir the chopped chocolate into the warm cream mixture. Let the heat of the cream do the work for you. Don’t get all crazy nuts in there beating and splashing around. It’ll melt, just give it a minute.

Once the mixture starts to come together, blend it thoroughly. You can see how pretty and shiny it becomes. Glossy!

So, you may have noticed the grody bandaid on my left thumb. I sliced off a part of my thumb and fingernail earlier in the week slicing onions. Whoops! Here’s my free tip of the day: don’t do that. It hurts like a mother and bleeds like a stuck pig.

Pour the mixture into a container, a shallow bowl or a plastic container, and cover. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

To form the truffles I used a small ice cream scoop, you can use a melon baller, or teaspoons.

Prepare a cookie sheet with some Cut-rite or parchment or a Silpat. You may want to let your chocolate mixture sit out at room temperature a few minutes so it’s easier to scoop. Have a cup of coffee, check Facebook, go to the bus stop, whatever.

The recipe says it makes 48 truffles. I made 24. Maybe they’re a little big.

Back to the fridge for another 15 minutes or so, until they’ve set back up. Have another cup of coffee, check your email, you get where I’m going.

Using your hands or a spoon, roll the truffles in the cocoa powder. If they’re too rustic for you now is a good time to use your hands to gently shape them up a bit. Place the truffles in little candy cups or small muffin tins, or in an airtight container. Store in the fridge, serve at room temperature.

They’re so cute! So perfect! So tasty! Just the perfect gift for your sweetie. Or your book club friends. Or you can eat them all yourself. I won’t tell.

Is there a flavor you love in your candy?

Need more Valentine’s ideas? See previous posts here, here, and here.

Sweets For Your Sweetie: Peanut Butter Cups

Mr. Bundt is a peanut butter cup junkie. He will consume large bags of them in one sitting and then complain that his stomach hurts. Really? I’m shocked. But, the worst part is, no matter how many peanut butter cups (or anything else!) he eats, he’s still skinny. While he protests that he’s put on 20 pounds since we met, it’s not showing. Meanwhile, mine is, well, er, showing. But since you only see me in your head, just imagine that I’m tall and skinny. Okay? That way we can be friends.

I am not a peanut butter cup junkie, but I did a taste test, I wouldn’t want to feed you something bad, and these are awesome. They will also make you sick if you eat too many. Like more than two in a row. Don’t ask how I know.

These are super simple! Try them for your sweetie or make a few for yourself!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Recipe from www.tasteofhome.com

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
• 4-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each), broken up in package

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c of peanut butter, room temperature butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Stir until smooth, set aside.

In the microwave, melt chocolate chips, candy bars, and remaining 1/2 c peanut butter until smooth. Use 30 second bursts and stir in between until mixture is melted. Do not overheat.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the chocolate mixture into candy cups or mini muffin cups. I used spoons but I think a squirt bottle would be a much easier (and cleaner) way to do this. Otherwise, there’s lots of licking up of drips. But hey, if that’s your thing, go for it.

Top each with a scant teaspoon of peanut butter mixture. As you drop it you can press it down into the liquid chocolate mixture with the spoon.

Then cover these with more chocolate mixture. You can use the spoon to press the mixture to the edges of the paper cup. This smooths the top of the candy cup out.

You may notice from the photos that when I began I was using a tiny muffin tin. This was totally useless. I switched to the countertop which was fine, until I moved them. They they were all wiggly. They turned out fine, but it would have been easier to move them to the fridge had they been on a cookie sheet. So, start with the cups on a cookie sheet and you’ll be set.

Refrigerate for a few hours until set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, serve at room temperature.

These are so yummy! I know you’ll love them! They would be so cute in a tiny candy box or stacked up in a glassine bag.

Are you a peanut butter cup junkie? What’s your FAVORITE candy to get for Valentine’s Day?

Need more Valentine’s ideas? See Monday’s post here. And Tuesday’s post here.