In one post, I tried to offer a light substitution to hot cocoa, and in another I offer a recipe of chocolate truffles. Well, what can i say??? I love chocolate so much that I want to be able to enjoy it without guilt and sometime i have to find ways to cut down those calories that is why I posted the recipe of a light hot cocoa.

Chocolate is really one of my weaknesses. I love it, and need it at then end of my meal to satisfy my sweet tooth;-) I try not to indulge much because my trainer will fuss at me… But when I can indulge, then I want the real thing!!!

As a French person, I am  a bit of a snob and only eat European Chocolates. It is perhaps because the European Chocolates or truffles have a higher content of chocolate and taste like chocolate. Here in the US, my favorite is Godiva. The problem is that they are only sold in certain places and are quite expensive. Of course I could just buy some of the truffles already packages but they don’t exactly taste the best.  Well with Valentine’s Day around the corner and me stuck at home in a snow storm  I thought to make some truffles today. They are fun to make, and really not that expensive.

Real  truffles are not hard to make, they just require a mold, and patience. Truffles can come in many flavors, but most of the time the filling is made either with ganache, buttercream, or craquin.

Today I will offer you a recipe that is very easy and is bound to be liked by many.

Ingredients for a tray of about 30 truffles:

• 1 / 2 bag of ghiradhelli ( sweet, milk or bittersweet)
• 100 gr. of chocolate chips
• 100 gr. of cream
• flavors of your choice ( 1/2 tsp of raspberry essence,  1/2 tsp of almond extract, and 1/2 tsp of orange extract)
• Glitter for decoration

1. Place the chocolate  in a microwaveable bowl and microwave the chocolate for 90 seconds or until the chocolate is liquid and free of lumps.
2. With a brush, brush the inside of each indentation of the truffle mold. PLace the truffles in the fridge for the chocolate to cure.
3. Rebrush the inside for another coat so that the truffles will not be too thin. Place the tray back into the fridge.
4. Meanwhile place the cream into the microwave for 90 seconds and pour it over the chocolate chips,. Let it sit for a few seconds. Then with a small whisk, stir the cream to make a smooth ganache.
5. Divide the ganache in 3 equal portions. Then add a few drops of the flavor that you wish. Today I used almond, orange and raspberry.
6. Fill the ganache in the truffles. Then place them into the freezer to cure.
7. Rewarm the chocolate and brush the top of each truffle to close them up. Place them back into the fridge to cure. decorate as you wish.
8. To decorate them, I brush each truffle with clear vanilla syrup and sprinkle over them .
   
9. Et voila!

The truffles are wonderful to eat cold or at room temperature. Your turn to be creative!!!!

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!