Truffle Kerfuffle!

This recipe has been haunting me since I ripped it out of a Compliments magazine around Christmas time.  So the time came to try it out.  I made the basic recipe and the chai tea version. 

The recipe says to let the truffle mixture refrigerate for 2 hours before rolling into balls.  I guess they mean it, this is what happens when you try too soon. 

Looks like a poo massacre.  And the truffles don't look much better, but they taste good!  I really like the chai flavor! Just gotta perfect the technique.

The second batch had more time to cool. These truffles held their shape much better and were easier to work with.  Also tasted heavenly...

Compliments Chocolate Truffles

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp sugar

pinch salt

10 oz semi sweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, it's all I had)

1 cup cocoa or icing sugar for coating (I only needed about 1/2 cup).

A prayer and a pinch o' love

Combine whipping cream, sugar, and salt in saucepan over low heat. When bubbles form around the edges, turn off heat. Don't boil.  Let steep for 5 minutes.

Stir in chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth.  Transfer to a clean bowl, cover and refrigerate until firm, approximately 2 hours. Seriously.

Sift cocoa onto a plate. Using cool hands, gloves, or melon baller - shape chocolate mixture into balls.  Roll in cocoa to coat.  Transfer to parchment paper-lined baking tray and refrigerate until firm.  Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks, freeze up to 2 months. 

Variations:

Chai Tea Truffles - Add 2 chai tea bags and 1/2 tsp ground ginger to whipping cream.  Heat and steep as with chocolate truffles. Remove tea bags and add chocolate chips, proceed as indicated above.

Honey Thyme Truffles - Replace sugar with 1 tbsp liquid honey and add 3-5 fresh stems of thyme to the cream. Heat and steep as with chocolate truffles. Remove stems and add chocolate chips, proceed as indicated above.

Red Hot Truffles - Mix 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper into cream. Proceed as indicated above.

And because you're dying to know what we had for supper, it's just another hit from Buns in the Oven!  If only there was a way to share the aroma over the internet, that's 90% of what makes it wonderful.

Audrey's Garlic Chicken

1 tbsp butter

2-3 tsp crushed garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or crushed croutons) 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

A prayer and a pinch o' love

In shallow casserole dish, melt butter in the oven.  Warm the garlic and the olive oil in a bowl over very low heat or steam so flavors blend (do not use the microwave).  In a separate dish, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Dip the chicken into the oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread and cheese mix.  Place in the casserole dish and flip the chicken so both sides have some.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through.