I remember as a kid my aunt would make chocolate balls, we never really called them truffles. I don't think I ever associated the word "truffle" with chocolate until I was in the 20s. The word truffle was more or less a fungus, a mushroom, and something I knew we common folk couldn't afford. I remember being told that anyway. There would be no truffles for me! Thank goodness for Aunt Wilma and her chocolate balls. When she made them they were just chocolate, not dark chocolate, again, I don't know that while growing up we were made aware that there was more than just one type of chocolate; Hershey's made chocolate and that's what you ate!
Today, you can get a variety of different flavored candy baking bars, and you can count on mixing and matching colors, textures, flavors, and even shapes if you're really cool and take your time to do that sort of thing. You can even add jelly into a tube and inject your little flavor morsels with gooey yummy if you want to! Why limit yourself, go all the way, friend. Step out, sound off, and just go wild in your kitchen! If you have a hankering for chili-flavored white chocolate truffles rolled in honey pecans, by all means, you just get yourself a few extra baking bowls and have at it! Do not let the neighbors stop you; they will probably be thankful you went the extra mile if you're the type (like I am) to want to share your new exotic experimenting with others - - somehow that didn't come out the way it sounded in my head.
Today it was back to basics for me. I wasn't even planning on making truffles but was in the baking aisle at the store, trying to avoid saying hello to an ex-co-worker I saw in Produce. I snuck away pretty easily, but found myself staring at the baking squares and wondering if they were always only 4 ounces or if I had remembered them being closer to 8 ounces -- I do actually think this way; it can become quite annoying, to be honest. I decided I was right, they were bigger back in the day, but that didn't stop me from buying a few bars just to be sure I had enough for the now "can't-get-this-thought-about-making-truffles-out-of-my-brain" moment. I also bought powdered cocoa, heavy whipping cream, butter, and yeah, I thought I was buying pure vanilla extract; that was until I got home and realized I had picked up the almond extract by mistake. There's that.
Man avoided, chocolate in the little basket, daughter outside selling her saddle, I needed to get to the car as quickly as possible to make it home in time to have time to make the delectables that were going to be titillating my tongue and calling out sweet memories to my tender-age Jude. She lives inside my heart more than in my head; so it wasn't that difficult to find her. It was, however, difficult to clear the kitchen countertops, but that's on me, the older more need-to-get-it-together Jude. I managed. It happened. I made the best damn truffles this side of the kitchen in Heaven. You know they are there, right? I mean, it's perfect, so yeah, there will be truffles.
Bam! Mixed, stirred, chilled, rolled, dipped, and chilled again - - I am in business! I'd say "We're cooking with grease now", but you don't use grease for this recipe - - just a little butter to smooth things out. Butter isn't even in the recipe, but I saw Aunt Wilma do it, so I did it, and I won't change my ways. If it was good enough for her, it's good enough for me. I think tomorrow I'll head back to the store to get red sprinkles and dye and make red velvet truffles. Maybe even some mint extract and crush up a few peppermint candy canes from Christmas to roll the balls in after I do. Oh, I could go on and on with this huh? I could - - and I could invite my fantasy man, Naked Bearded Man, to participate in the making of these amazing morsels, and explain what I could do with the extra dark chocolate drizzle once I've covered all the truffles - - but I think I'll leave that one alone.
Enjoy!
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