The Truffle Shuffle
a last minute treat for Valentine's Day
Surprise! I have a sweet treat for all of you since I am considering all of you my Valentines this year. Hope you love it.
Chocolate covered strawberries or fancy candied strawberries are a staple of Valentine’s Day. I don’t know about you all but here in California , firmly planted in the Northern hemisphere, it’s fucking winter and strawberries are not in season. I love a good strawberry but I would only give fresh strawberries in February to my worst enemy. Let’s not make bad choices. This Valentine’s Day let’s make some damn sense and make a more seasonally appropriate treat for those we love: Strawberry Chocolate Truffles.
Truffles might sound and look intimidating, but they are really forgiving. Once you dip them in chocolate all the oddly shaped balls of ganache suddenly look sophisticated. It’s an immediate glow-up. Sprinkle a little something on top like toasted coconut shavings, cocoa powder, or crushed up freeze dried strawberries like me and people will swear you spent a bazillion dollars. You don’t need special equipment or any unusual groceries. Instead of fresh strawberries, these use strawberry jam so you might already have everything you need to throw together this last minute gift for those you love, even if that’s just you. Homemade presents are in for 2024 and for the foreseeable future. Get on board, k? Happy Valentine’s Day from my lil family to yours.
Strawberry Jam Truffles
Makes about 30 depending on the size of you make them, a golf ball size is too BIG
½ cup full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate, divided
2 tablespoons of your favorite jam like strawberry
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Toppings: freeze dried strawberries, toasted coconut shavings, or cocoa powder
In a small saucepan, bring the coconut milk and coconut oil to a small simmer then turn off the heat. In a medium, heat-safe bowl add 1 ¼ cups of the chocolate chips and the jam. Pour over the hot coconut mixture. Gently press everything under the surface of the hot liquid, but don’t stir! Cover the bowl to trap in the heat and let it sit for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, take off the lid and stir until there aren’t any chocolate chunks remaining and the mixture looks relatively smooth. The jam bits are fine but no unmelted chocolate, ok? Store the bowl some place cold, like near an open window or in the chilliest part of your place until the mixture has set and cooled. This could take an hour or so depending on the temperature of your place. You can even leave it overnight; the only important part is that it is set and cold.
Once the mixture is chilled, grab a little spoon or melon baller and scoop out enough to make a ball about the size of gumball. You can roll them around in your hands to make a tighter ball. Sure your hands will get a little messy but that’s the fun part. Once you have rolled out all your balls, melt the rest of the chocolate with the remaining coconut oil. Not sure how? You’ve got 2 choices.
Method 1: Microwave
You can melt chocolate quickly and use the fewest number of dishes by doing it this way. Slowly heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each until it’s completely melted. The total length of time will depend on how much chocolate you’re melting. Don’t get crazy and try to do that shit in one big go because it’ll get all messed up. Just keep stirring it every 30 seconds and heating it again until it’s all melted. Then add the coconut oil, stir again as it melts, and you’re good to go.
Method 2: Double boiler
No microwave? No problem. You get to build your own double boiler like I always do. Grab a medium saucepan and fill it with 2 to 3 inches of water. Throw an all-metal bowl on top of that and be sure the whole mouth of the pan is covered and that the water inside isn’t touching the bottom of the metal bowl. Put this over medium-low heat and add the chocolate and coconut oil to the bowl. The steam will heat the bowl and melt the chocolate, just keep stirring and trust the fucking method. When the chocolate looks smooth, remove from the heat and take the bowl off the waterfilled pan. Obviously, the bowl is gonna be hot as hell, so be careful—otherwise you’re good.
Ok, now you’ve got a bowl of melted chocolate. Grab one of your lil ganache gumballs and drop it in the chocolate. Scoop it out with a fork so that the extra chocolate can drip through the tines then place it on a plate. Done. Now keep going until you finish all the truffles and sprinkle on any and all toppings while the chocolate is still shiny so they stick nicely. Wait until the cool and the outside chocolate has set until you move them to their final plate or box. Sometimes I place them in little muffin liners in a cute pastry box if I’m giving them away but do whatever you’re feeling.
They will keep for at least a week if stored in a cool spot.
Thanks so much for signing up for Stir The Pot and I hope you enjoy this extra sweet treat this week. Need an idea for a fancy dinner? Artichoke and Hazelnut Raviolis with a Mushroom Leek Sauce from last year’s Broiler Room are here for you. I’ll see you Saturday!
xoxox
Michelle
Chocolate hands! 🙌
♥️♥️♥️♥️