Autumn Decorated Chocolate Truffles
Easy and tasty these Autumn Decorated Chocolate Truffles are perfect for fall. Or change up the colors for any season. ‘Cause chocolate is always welcome.
I received a bottle of Nielsen-Massey vanilla in exchange for this post but all opinions are my own.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—baking can be high drama. That’s why they produce the “Great British Baking Show” instead of the “Great British Salad Show”.
On the other hand, baking can be a great way to relax. To get happy. Commune with family and friends. Just think of all those heartwarming baking-with-children vignettes! Of course, before you can truly enjoy the mindful benefits of baking, you do need some basic skills.
Building Baking Skills
Luckily, Nielsen-Massey, the well-known maker of quality vanilla and other flavorings, has an initiative to help you “better your bake“. It’s a series of baking lessons to help quell any fear factor. The program covers topics from basic (e.g. how to separate an egg) to intermediate (filling a pastry bag) to more complex (tempering chocolate).
Today I’m making chocolate truffles rolled in cocoa (and more), and flavored with some of their lovely vanila!
They’ll be good rolled in cocoa, but the gold standard for truffles is actually to dip them in chocolate. Problem is, making dipping chocolate isn’t as simple as melting a bag of chocolate chips. To do it right, you need to temper the chocolate. This makes it glossy and crisp, rather than flat and kind of stretchy. And it’s an advanced skill.
Happily, Nielsen-Massey has lessons on how to do this–in both video and text formats. Their instructions are more complete than those I’ve failed at tried before and include guidelines for temperature not just technique.
In the end, I didn’t have time to do the tempering as I rushed off to class in the morning. But I do plan to perfect this for the holiday baking season. Yes, I’m planning chocolate dipped vanilla caramels with sea salt flakes (hmm, don’t you want to up your baking game now?).
- 1 4-ounce bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped, or 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- jimmies, chopped nuts, cocoa powder or tempered chocolate to coat
- Place about an inch of water inside a saucepan and bring just to a simmer.
- Top with a bowl that fits into the saucepan but doesn't touch the water for a makeshift double boiler.
- Pour the chocolate and cream into the bowl. Maintaining a very low simmer, stir the chocolate and cream until they are melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour into a shallow pan or bowl and place in the refrigerator until cool (a couple hours) or overnight.
- About 5 minutes before you want to form the truffles, remove the chocolate mixture to warm slightly. Using a spoon, scrape up enough chocolate to form 3/4 - 1 inch balls. Roll into a ball, then roll into your covering--cocoa, jimmies, or ???
- Store in the refrigerator and bring out shortly before serving (think cheese 🙂 )
- If you chocolate is too sticky to work with, place it back in the refrigerator briefly. If you are really having problems, try rolling the ball on a frozen baking sheet.
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans from Scratch
- Spiced Apple Quick Bread
I would make chocolate coconut cookies and snickerdoodle cookies.
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I’d make some yummy chocolate chip cookies!
I would make some cookies with this! Yum!
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I usually use vanilla in my chocolate chip cookies, but I would definitely LOVE to try my hand at making these truffles! Especially for our guests who come for Thanksgiving!
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I would use it to make some Halloween cookies!
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I would use vanilla to flavor my frothed (“fluffy milk”) every morning!
I love adding a little vanilla to our Sunday morning crepes!
I would make my recipe for apple donuts, it takes 3 tsp. of vanilla.
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These truffles look so good…perfect for holidays! I might use vanilla in these (pinned) as well as Peanut Butter Balls that I also make for the holidays.
I would use the vanilla in pudding!
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I have a great recipe for a vanilla cream cheese pound cake and I would love to see what it would be like with Nielsen Massey vanilla.
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I’d use it in a pumpkin cheesecake!
I would add some to my morning coffee for flavor without a bunch of added sugar.
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I will make my granddaughters some vanilla ice cream.
I’d make some banana bread!! It’s our favorite thing to bake!
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I would make a vanilla creme pie.
I’d make a birthday cake for my husband
I’d make some meringues with the vanilla.
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I would use it to make pumpkin rolls and pies. I love fall baking. These truffles look amazing.
I would make zucchini bread!
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I would make my favorite caramel apple pie.
I would make some cookies with the vanilla my kids love to bake together.
I would make some soft Carmel candy chews with that yummy vanilla!
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I would make some soft chewy iced sugar cookies!
You know, with the fall season upon us, I am suddenly craving a baba au rhum or just bread pudding with lots of pecans, chocolate chips (made from a bar of good chocolate), and delicious vanilla sauce to go with it. Decadent? Yes. Delicious? Also yes! Would love to try out the Nielsen- Massey vanilla!
I would make some cookies!
I would like to make vanilla pizelle cookies. Thank you!
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I would make chocolate chip cookies.
I eat keto..so I can use this in so many delicious keto treats.
Your truffle recipe sounds delicious & easy! I would make my Sweet Potato Pecan pie and low-sugar Banana Chocolate Chip muffins with the vanilla. 🙂
I found this awesome sounding recipe on facebook for cookies. It was something like pecan bourbon maple cookies or something like that. I’d love to try those
I would make some vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream.
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i would make sugar cookies with vanilla buttercream frosting!
I love making cookies and frosting for my cupcakes.
I’d make sugar cookies!
I’d love to make some ice cream with that vanilla!
I would make some delicious cookies to share with my coworkers.
A good vanilla is key to so many things! The first think I would make would be a yummy vanilla pound cake
I would use.it for cookies and coffee
The only thing I can make just like my grandmother is her chocolate cake with caramel icing, so I’d be using it in that!
I would make cookies, probably. I use vanilla constantly in holiday baking and canning.
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I would make pumpkin whoopie pies with vanilla.
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I would make Maca Macaroons.
Those look so pretty. Pity I don’t live in the US as that’s an amazing giveaway.
These are super tempting, but I am also tempted by all the wonderful apple-y things I could make!
I would make cookies with my girls. Thank you for the chance! I love the recipe!
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I would use it in cookies.
I like to make French toast with vanilla
I would love to make this recipe!! Sounds delicious.
I would make some chocolate chip cookies. I bet this vanilla would make them taste wonderful.
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I would make chocolate chip cookies with it.
Make some delicious cookies
PS – I completely forgot to tell you that your autumn truffles are beautiful!!
First, as soon as I finish this comment, I am going to watch the tempering video as I have tried and failed at this miserably. 🙂
Second, I am in a bit of an insomnia period and I have been awake and creating recipes (instead of counting sheep) and I have decided on a vanilla beurre blanc to go with a dish I am creating. Too odd? I don’t think so…
I love vanilla and would use it in a variety of recipes. I would definitely make chocolate chip cookies first, they’re my favorite!