Bourbon Truffles

These Bourbon Truffles are another recipe I made for New Year’s Eve. I have actually made this a few times and have altered it slightly from the original Williams-Sonoma recipe to suit my tastes.

I lowered the amount of bourbon so that there is a hint to enhance the flavor of the chocolate without overpowering. (The first round of making these it was like taking a shot with every bite, whew!) I also kept having trouble with the coating (my chocolate kept seizing) so I’ve altered that a bit to make a smoother coating that’s easier to work with.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 6 oz. milk chocolate chips
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
• Cocoa powder for dusting

Coating:

• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• sprinkles, for garnish, if desired

To make the filling, add the heavy cream and butter to a saute pan over medium-low heat.  Stir until the butter melts and the cream is slightly simmering.

Combine the milk chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chips, and the bourbon.

Add to the cream mixture and stir until melted and smooth.

Pour into a bowl, cover, and freeze for about 40 minutes or until it is just firm enough to mound with a spoon. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Scoop out the filling by the tablespoonfuls and drop onto the sheet.

Freeze until almost firm but still pliable, about 30 minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa to a bowl. Roll each of the chocolate mounds between your palms until it forms a smooth ball. Roll in the cocoa to coat evenly. Return to the sheet and freeze while you prepare the coating.

To make the coating, add the chocolate chips and butter to a small metal bowl and place on top of a small pot with a small amount of barely simmering water. (If you have a double boiler, use that.)

Heat the chocolate and butter in the bowl over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.

Reroll the truffles between your palms to remove any loose cocoa. Gently drop one truffle ball into the chocolate, and spoon some of the melted chocolate over the truffle until it is fully coated. Slip a fork under the truffle, lift it from the chocolate, and tap the fork gently against the side of the pan to allow any excess chocolate to drip off. Using a knife, gently slide the truffle off the fork onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Immediately sprinkle generously with sprinkles if desired. Repeat with the remaining truffles.

Refrigerate, uncovered, until firm, about 1 hour. The truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

These are really decadent but oh so tasty. Chocolate and bourbon are really delicious together!

I made these pretty big so I ended up with a dozen. You can make them smaller (they are very rich so no one will mind if they are smaller) and probably get up to two dozen out of this recipe.