Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

Chocolate Truffles

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Have you ever made chocolate truffles? I’m not a chocoholic but I could become one with these truffles.

truffles

The ingredients for making truffles are really simple. It’s hard to believe that such simple ingredients could make such a wonderful treat.

1c 70% organic chocolate, pieces
1/2c organic whipping cream
1T homemade vanilla extract (optional)
organic cocoa powder

Bring some water to boil in a sauce pan. In a 2c Pyrex measuring cup, warm the chocolate pieces and cream until the chocolate completely melts. Don’t overheat the chocolate and cream. Use just enough heat to melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat and stir very well. Add the vanilla extract, if desired. Put the mixture into the fridge to cool.

Check the mixture every 30 minutes by stirring. When it gets difficult to stir the mixture it’s time to roll the truffles into one inch balls and coat them in cocoa powder. Store the truffles in the freezer or fridge but serve the truffles cool or at room temperature.

These truffles are great for special occasions or holidays like Halloween, Valentine’s Day or Easter.

Pantry Foods: Bitter Chocolate Walnuts for My Sweet Valentine

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bitter-chocolate-walnuts

Place the walnuts close together on the wax paper to avoid wasting chocolate. Refrigerate the chocolate until hardened and break into pieces before storing.

My brother has long loved eating bitter chocolate for its health promoting antioxidants. He has always said that no nut could stand up to the powerful flavor of bitter chocolate except walnuts. Unfortunately, he could never find a source for bitter chocolate with walnuts. One day I made him up a batch. He loved them.

1c organic walnuts
1/3c 85% organic bitter chocolate, broken into pieces

Spread some wax paper on a glass baking tray. Spread the walnuts evenly over the wax paper. Place the walnuts close to each to avoid wasting chocolate. (Use more walnuts if you find bitter chocolate too powerful for your taste.) In a sauce pan bring some water to the boiling point and remove from the heat. Put the chocolate pieces into a Pyrex measuring cup. Put the Pyrex measuring cup into the hot water. It will take 5-10 minutes for the chocolate to melt. Stir the chocolate well until smooth and drizzle the chocolate over the walnuts. Refrigerate the baking tray until the chocolate has completely hardened. Break the chocolate covered walnuts into pieces and store in a glass mason jar in the fridge or some other cool place.

If you are giving Bitter Chocolate Walnuts to Your Sweet Valentine, wrap a pint sized mason jar in a piece of recycled red tissue paper and make a card. Tell your loved one that you love them so much you want to save the world and would they please return your glass mason jar! It usually works and gives your Valentine a reason for another visit!

chocolate-pecan-raisins

Use your imagination and whatever you have in your pantry. It’s hard to go wrong with chocolate. This bitter chocolate treat is made with organic pecans, raisins and macadamia nuts. My Valentine likes taking this treat into the backcountry skiing.