Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bites

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Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bites will be your new favorite holiday treat. Use high quality chocolate for these rich, smooth and creamy bites of yum! Why are they bites instead of just truffles? Read below to find out…

We all know what happens in the office after Thanksgiving…snacks, treats, holiday foods as far as the eye can see. When I worked at OSU our absolute favorite office treat was the handmade cheese log, brought to us by a couple of our donors. You never wanted to not be in the office that day, because you would likely miss out.

I try not to keep chocolate in the house, because I have no self-control. Or, if I buy chocolate for a specific recipe, I keep it packed away until absolutely necessary. I’m also trying to add more holiday dessert recipes to my collection. But because I work from home now, sharing those treats is a little more challenging. And the last thing I need to do is eat it all myself. So I took my friend’s holiday party as the perfect opportunity to test a few recipes. Truffles are the rage these days, so I decided to start with Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bites

Oh. My. Heavens. These Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bites are to die for! Creamy inside, hard chocolate exterior, finished with crushed candy canes.

Why do I call these bites instead of truffles? Well, as you can tell, I failed miserably in the shape. So until I master it, bites they shall remain.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT TRUFFLES

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bars or Morsels
• Chocolate Melting Wafers
• Heavy Cream
• Unsalted Butter
• Candy Canes

QUALITY CHOCOLATE IS THE KEY CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT TRUFFLE BITES

When I make Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookies I use Nestle Toll House Morsels, and they are delicious. But I wanted to kick it up a few notches for these treats. Guittard Chocolate is some of the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted. Normally when I buy a bag of chocolate morsels and I don’t use them all at once, I snack on the extras. Not with Guittard…it is reserved for recipes only. Ghirardelli is another fabulous chocolate, and would also work really well for the ganache.

WORKING WITH MELTED CHOCOLATE

DOUBLE BOILER: I use the double boiler method to melt the chocolate for Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bites. Don’t have a double boiler? Place a heat-safe bowl over a pot of water at a low boil, and ensure that the bowl does not touch the water. Watch carefully so the chocolate doesn’t scald, and remove from heat as soon as melted.

MICROWAVE: Place the morsels or wafers into a microwave safe bowl. Heat at 50% power for 15 seconds at a time. As chocolate begins to melt, stir between each cycle, to help the process. I use the microwave to melt wafers, because it’s a smaller amount and faster process.

LET IT REST: Once melted, let the chocolate come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then place in the fridge and let it it chill for 2 hours. If it becomes too hard, set it on the counter for about 20 minutes, until it softens enough to scoop.

KEYS TO THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT TRUFFLE BITES

• Use a small cookie scoop. I use a 1.25″ Cookie Scoop, and it is a perfect size. Don’t roll the bites with your hands, because you’ll get chocolate everywhere, and the heat of your hands will make the chocolate way too soft. Most people probably know that. I didn’t until I tried it…
• If the chocolate gets too soft while you work, put it back into the fridge for a few minutes
• I use Ghirardelli White Chocolate Wafers for the outer coating. You could certainly use semi sweet chocolate, but I just wanted something different.
• Remember, you’re using melted chocolate to coat the truffle bites made of chocolate. So work quickly!
  • If you’re using white chocolate, spoon it over the truffle bites rather than dipping, so the colors don’t start to mix
  • Top with crushed candy canes as soon as you dip the outer coating. Once it sets, nothing will stick and you’ll have to do like I did, and add more white chocolate on top. And then you lose the smooth outer coating of chocolate.

Yes, Chocolate Peppermint Truffle Bites are rich. Yes, they are indulgent. But they are the perfect treat, and wonderful to give as gifts. I plan to branch out and do more of these with alternate fillings for different holidays. By Valentine’s Day, I will have mastered the shape. Maybe.

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