FOOD: Orange Chocolate Truffles

Hi everyone, I am Amanda from the food and lifestyle blog, A Life Well Lived. This is my first post with Made By Girl and I am super excited to share some of my favorite recipes with you all.
 

First up, Orange Chocolate Truffles - perfect treat for the upcoming Valentine’s Day. These truffles look hard to make but are incredibly easy!  My favorite kind of recipe. With just a couple of easy-to-find ingredients, you have the perfect Valentine’s Day treat for that special someone or even better, a Valentine’s Day gift for yourself.
 

Personally, I love this combination of intense semi-sweet chocolate against the sweet
floral and citrus notes of the orange zest. By using just the zest of the orange you get
the the great orange flavor without any bitterness. It elevates the chocolate just a little
without overpowering it.

But, the best part of this recipe is that it is totally adaptable to other types of chocolate
truffles. I have added some other recipe ideas that would be delicious combinations.

Chocolate Orange Truffles

 
Truffles

3/4 cup heavy cream

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh orange zest

Pinch kosher salt

Toppings
1⁄2 cup chocolate sprinkles
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat the cream in medium sized heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Bring cream
to a simmer then remove the pan from the heat. Do not boil the cream. Add the
chocolate to cream and let sit for a minute or two, until chocolate begins to melt. Add
orange zest and salt and whisk until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and
refrigerate preferably overnight. If you are short on time, you can spread the mixture into
a thin layer on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for one hour.

Remove the chocolate mixture from refrigerator and let soften just slightly. With a melon
baller or spoon, roll 1 tablespoons of the mixture at a time into balls until round and
smooth. Roll each truffle in a topping of your choice. If the mixture gets too soft return it
to the refrigerator. 

Truffles can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for two days or in the refrigerator up to two weeks. (Note if using powdered sugar as a topping it tends to get absorbed by the chocolate over time. So it you plan on storing these truffles or making them ahead, I suggest using only the sprinkles or cocoa powder as toppings) Makes about 25 bite-sized truffles

Other possible combinations based on the above recipe. Remove the orange zest and
try some of the below ideas:

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Truffles - Instead of the heavy cream, use coconut cream
and then roll the truffles in toasted coconut flakes

Nutella Truffles - Add 1/2 cup Nutella to chocolate and reduce heavy cream to 1/2 cup.
Then roll truffles in finely chopped hazelnuts.

Pistachio Truffles - Add 1/8 teaspoon of almond extract (a little goes a long way) to the
chocolate and cream, then roll the truffles in crushed pistachios

- photos by amanda