Choclate Truffles :

1.Bailey's Irish's Cream Chocolate Traffles:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 c heavy cream

1 T butter

2 egg yolks

Preparation:

Melt chocolate over very low heat. Stir in Bailey's and cream.

Beat egg yolks, stir a small amount of chocolate mixture into eggs, and then slowly add the eggs to the chocolate mixture. Mixture will thicken. Add butter.

Refrigerate overnight, or several hours.

Using two large spoons or a small ice cream scoop, form small balls, roll in powdered sugar, then cocoa. The brand of cocoa with chocolate bits works nicely.

2. Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles:

Ingredients:

2-quart mixing bowl

1-quart saucepan

Rubber spatula

Whisk or blender

Ice cream scoop or 12-inch pastry bag with plain, round pastry tip (1/2 inch opening)

Preparation:

Prepare truffles day before serving to allow for adequate time to set.

2 1/2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup toasted, skinned finely ground hazelnuts

3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1. Place 1 pound of chocolate in a 2-quart mixing bowl. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream into a bowl with the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then stir together with a rubber spatula, whisk, or immersion blender until thoroughly blended.

2. Mix in 3/4 cup of the hazelnuts and blend well. Cover the truffle cream, let cool to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator until thick but not stiff (2 to 3 hours). Or let the truffle cream sit at room temperature for several hours or overnight until completely set and thick.

3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Fit a 12-inch pastry bag with a large, plain round pastry tip with a 1/2 inch opening and fill partway with the truffle cream holding the pastry bag 1 inch above the paper, pipe out mounds about 1 inch in diameter. Or, use a small ice cream scoop to form the mounds. Cover the mounds with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 2 hours or in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

4. Dust your hands with cocoa powder and roll the mounds into balls. These will be the truffle centers. Cover and chill the centers for another 2 hours in the freezer.

5. Remove the truffle centers from the freezer and bring to cool room temperature so the outer coating wont crack when they are dipped. Line 2 more baking sheets with parchment of waxed paper. Melt and temper the remaining 1/2 pounds chocolate. Place a truffle into the tempered chocolate, coating it completely. With a dipper or fork, remove the center from the chocolate, carefully shake off the excess chocolate, and turn the truffle out onto the paper. After dipping 4 truffles, sprinkle a pinch of the remaining hazelnuts on top of them, before the chocolate sets up.

6. Let the truffles set up at room temperature, or chill them in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. When the truffles are set place them in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the truffles will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

The truffles are best served at room temperature.

Yield: 60 1-inch truffles

Variations:

Instead of dipping the truffles in tempered chocolate, roll them in a small bowl of cocoa powder, confectioners sugar, or finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts as soon as they are rolled into balls. Any nuts can be substituted for the hazelnuts, both inside and outside the truffles.

- White Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles: Substitute white chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate and use 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream.

- Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles: Substitute milk chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate and use 1 cup heavy whipping cream.

- Milk Chocolate Almond Truffles: Substitute milk chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate, use 1 cup heavy whipping cream, substitute finely chopped almonds for the hazelnuts.

- Praline Truffles: Substitute finely ground praline for the hazelnuts.

3.Milk Chocolate Truffles:

Ingredients:

9 oz. chocolate chips

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 c. heavy cream

1 c. unsweetened cocoa

Preparation:

In a double boiler, melt chips and butter. Add cream and stir until smooth and satin like. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 6 hours.

Place cocoa in a bowl and set aside.

To make truffles, scoop a teaspoon of chocolate mixture. Form ball with your hands and then roll in cocoa. Store in airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

4.Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Brownies:

Brownie Layer:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 lg. eggs

1 tsp. instant coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp. water

3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Truffle Filling:

1 c. chocolate chips

1/4 tsp. instant coffee

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1/3 c. seedless red raspberry preserves

1/4 c. powdered sugar

Glaze:

1/4 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. solid vegetable shortening

Heat oven to 350 degrees, Grease a 9x9x2 inch baking pan.

Brownie Layer: Melt chocolate chips with butter; cool slightly. Beat brown sugar and eggs in large bowl. Add chocolate mixture and dissolved coffee. Mix well. Stir in flour and baking powder; spread into pan. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Truffle Filling: Melt chocolate chips with instant coffee. Beat cream cheese and preserves until smooth. Add chocolate chips mixture and powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy; spread over brownies.

Glaze: Melt chocolate chips with shortening. Drizzle over filling. Chill 2 hours; cut into bars.

5.Chocolate Truffles:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. cocoa powder

1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1/2 c. cream cheese

Chocolate sprinkles

Paper candy cups

Preparation:

Mix cheese, chopped nuts, sugar and cocoa powder well in a bowl. Roll into marble-size balls (larger if desired). Spread sprinkles on a work surface and roll truffles in them. Put each one in a paper candy cup. Refrigerate.