Directions

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk chocolate pieces and whipping cream. Cook over low heat for four to five minutes or until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool slightly. Stir in almond extract. Beat mixture with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour or until firm.

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Shape chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in ground almonds. Place on prepared baking sheet. (At this point, the truffles may be covered and chilled for up to 3 months.) Freeze for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt candy coating. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Quickly dip truffles, one at a time, into coating. Let excess coating drip off truffles. Place truffles on prepared baking sheet; let stand for 30 minutes or until coating is set. In a small saucepan, heat the chocolate pieces and shortening until melted. Decoratively drizzle melted chocolate over tops of truffles. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to two weeks.

THE RESULT

Having never made candy before, this is a simple first attempt for anyone with a little pastry experience. It’s remarkable how a little bit of heavy cream added to melted chocolate turns into a truffle. It’s important when setting out to do this recipe to allow yourself a good block of time for the necessary freezing and refrigerating times. Your active baking time will be around an hour, but freezing and refrigerating constitutes for 2 to 2.5 hours.

Once the chocolate had set, shaping it into balls proved more challenging than I anticipated. Rolling the chocolate in my hands caused my palms to be well coated within two or three tries. This would be a great project for a younger sibling or a friend eager to get his or her hands dirty. It may take a few tries or some Googling for better technique because your first attempts will not be uniformly beautiful.

The easiest way to ground the almonds is to beat the 1/2 cup bag with a rolling pin or some other heavy object. This also proves to be a satisfying stress reliever.

I recommend clearing out a flat area in your freezer before trying to put the baking sheet of truffles inside. It’s difficult to rearrange frozen pizzas with a baking sheet full of rolling truffles in your hand.

Dipping the chocolate in a contrasting flavor adds depth to the candy. If you’re not into white chocolate, there are other options such as peanut butter, dark chocolate and mint in the candy section of most craft stores. Even though I used my smallest pot to melt the white chocolate, dipping proved challenging. It might be best to microwave the chocolate in a tiny bowl for more consistent dipping.

When finished, the truffles have a more organic appearance in that they are not uniform in shape or size. My roommate and I tried melting the chocolate to drizzle on top for decoration, but were unsuccessful in our attempts. After rereading the recipe, we realized we were supposed to add a bit of shortening, which probably would have helped. They still looked pretty and appetizing sans the extra pizzazz. They also looked good without the coating, so it gives you a few different options depending upon your interest in following the recipe or eating your truffles as soon as possible.

The chocolates have a rich flavor to them and are almost a bit fudgy. The almond coating is a great crunch contrast to the smooth truffle center. The recipe makes a huge leap in saying that it yields 48 pieces; I only got a dozen and a half out of it. Despite the disparity, this recipe is a great alternative to buying a box of chocolates. The homemade look is charming and being able to customize your tastes into your own chocolates is rewarding.