Honey Chocolate Truffles

Eek! I have definitely been slacking off. I'm posting this truffle recipe under "December" because… otherwise December wouldn't have any posts! And that would definitely tip off my OCD about these types of things. Speaking of OCD… what are some of the things you are OCD about? I know I have an obsession with fresh air (I will die in a room with no air circulation.) and being clean (does anyone else have 'shower attacks'?), but I can't think of any more than that right now.

I am now living in a new room! I transferred out of my triple dorm room in Courtside to a double shared bath in Hedrick Summit (if you don't go to UCLA, you will have no idea what I just said, but don't worry about it). The point is, I am so happy in my new room with my new roommate Tiffany! She's amazing, and the funny thing is, although we live right next to the RAs, we have quite a few illegal appliances in our room: a rice cooker, a slow cooker, and a (separated) refrigerator and microwave. UCLA has a crazy rule about micro-fridges (which are combined refrigerator/microwaves that… suck at being both).

But enough about random UCLA stuff. These truffles are amazingly delicious! This was my first time making truffles, but I think they came out well. I even dipped some in toasted coconut, and my mom went crazy over them… she made me leave most of the coconut-topped ones at home so she could give them to her friends. I got this recipe from Crystal's Cozy Kitchen, and she has amazing pictures on there. Her recipe is integrated with pictures, so I altered it a bit and re-typed it below.

Honey Chocolate Truffles

• 1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  
• Another 1 ½ cup + semisweet chocolate chips
  
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  
• 2 tbs butter
  
• 1 tsp honey
  

1. To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream, butter, and honey in a saucepan until just boiling.
   
2. Pour over the 1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 minutes.
   
3. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until the chocolate ganache is smooth. Put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
   
4. Take the ganache mixture out and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula. Put in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes.
   
5. Take the ganache mixture out again and stir. It will be more difficult to stir, but keep going! Put in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes.
   
6. Take the stiff ganache (truffle) mixture out and mix it with an electric hand mixer, making sure to use a spatula to get the hardened chocolate off the sides of the bowl. Put it in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.
   
7. Take it out of the refrigerator and mix it with an electric hand mixer again. Put it in the refrigerator for another 5 minutes.
   
8. Take the bowl of ganache mixture out of the fridge! It is ready to be formed. Using a small spoon or ice cream/melon ball scooper, take out about ½ tbs of ganache and roll into a ball. Work quickly, because the longer you handle the truffle mixture, the meltier and messier it gets! If you need to, refrigerate the mixture throughout the shaping process.
   
9. Freeze the shaped truffle mixture for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 ½ cup chocolate chips in the microwave or a double boiler.
   
10. Use a pair of chopsticks to lift up the truffle ball and plop it into the melted chocolate. Then, use two spoons to transfer the truffle ball from spoon to spoon, scraping off extra chocolate and letting it drip off as needed. Plop onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat for all the truffles. Working quickly is key, because otherwise the truffle ball will just melt into the melted chocolate chips.
    
11. At this point, if you would like to dip your truffles in toasted coconut, ground hazelnuts, or other delectable topping, do so while the chocolate is still melted! Refrigerate the truffles until they are set.