Yield: about 24 Black Cat Truffles
Ingredients:
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
- 12 oz chocolate candy coating
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, for decorating
Preparation:
1. Place the chopped semi-sweet chocolate in a medium bowl, and set aside.
2. Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring the cream to a simmer. Once it's near boiling, pull it off the heat.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let the cream and chocolate sit together and soften for one minute, then gently whisk or stir them together. Once the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, add the room temperature butter and whisk until it's incorporated. This is your "ganache."
4. Press a piece of cling wrap on top of the ganache, and refrigerate the bowl until the ganache is firm enough to scoop and roll, about 2 hours.
5. Once the ganache is firm, dust your palms lightly with cocoa powder and use a small candy scoop or a teaspoon to roll the ganache into small balls, and place them on a foil-covered baking sheet. Re-apply the cocoa powder as needed to keep the truffles from sticking to your hands.
6. After all of the truffles are formed, take the chocolate chips and press two chocolate chips into the top of each truffle to represent the cat's ears. If the truffles are too stiff to help the chocolate stick, melt the chocolate candy coating and put a dab of coating on the bottom of each chip to help the ears stick.
7. Once all of the truffles have their ears affixed, use dipping tools or a fork to dip them into the melted candy coating. Place the dipped truffles on the foil-covered baking sheet.
8. After all of the truffles have been dipped in chocolate, it's time to add cat faces. Melt the white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Pour the melted white chocolate into a paper cone or a plastic baggie with a small hole cut in the corner.
9. Using the white chocolate, add eyes, a triangle nose, and a few whiskers to the front of each truffle for the cat's face. Finish the cats by dotting a little bit of chocolate on the white eyes to represent the pupils. Let the chocolate set completely before serving.
10. Store Black Cat Truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For best taste and texture, bring them to room temperature before serving.
