Holiday Truffles

Truffles intimidate people because they hear ganache and assume it means tempering chocolate, scalding cream, and waiting on a thermometer. This recipe sidesteps all of that. Sweetened condensed milk plays the role of the cream and the sweetener at once, and it forgives almost everything because the sugar stabilizes the chocolate as it sets. Melt it with semi-sweet chocolate chips over low heat, then split the batch in half and run two flavors at once. One bowl gets amaretto and a hit of almond extract for that bittersweet marzipan note. The other gets Grand Marnier or Cointreau, which slices through the dense chocolate with bright orange peel. Chill the mixture until it’s firm enough to scoop, then roll, coat, and chill again. Cocoa powder, chopped nuts, sprinkles, or melted chocolate all work as a finishing coat.

Pro Tips

• Melt the chocolate slowly over low heat or use a double boiler. Direct high heat will seize the chocolate and turn it grainy.
• If the mixture is too soft to roll after an hour, chill another 30 minutes. Warm hands also melt them fast, so work in short bursts.
• Use a small cookie scoop for evenly sized truffles. They look more professional and bite consistently.
• For a glossy chocolate shell, dip the chilled truffles in tempered or melted candy coating instead of just rolling in cocoa.
• Truffles keep at room temperature in a covered tin for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Variations

• Swap the liqueurs for Kahlua, Bailey’s, peppermint schnapps, or rum.
• Roll in toasted coconut, crushed candy canes, finely chopped pistachios, or cocoa powder.
• Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the chocolate for mocha truffles.