Oh Boulder, how I love you, but this week I’m in Malibu, and I must say … a person could get used to this. I’m here for a little bit of Dessert Diva work and a whole lot of Dessert Diva play — they tend to be one and the same most days of the week, and I’ll take it.
They say Malibu is Boulder with an ocean, but I haven’t run into too many Birkenstocks and Crocs thus far. I have, however, run across the most fabulous chocolate café, and I thought I should make something in honor of my new find.
This week’s yummy treat is Raspberry Chocolate Truffles. Now that’s not necessarily an earth-shattering recipe, but I have found that sometimes simple and familiar is the way to go.
It’s hard to beat a good truffle, let’s be honest. Chocolate in any form is hard to beat. Even chocolate snobs, I’m sure, sneak a little bit of Hersheys now and again. Of course, my favorite chocolate is Chocolove and that is no lie. Malibu, New York, Paris, I still love Chocolove chocolate bars, hands down. They are delicious, creative and, I must admit, at times, life-changing. Nothing in life that a good piece of chocolate can’t fix. Sisters, ya with me?
So my love for the Chocolate Box in Malibu and Chocolove in Boulder has me on a sugar high and I don’t think I ever want to come down. Thank goodness I live in Boulder where, well, there’s an app for that.
Now follow the directions, put some love into it, and invite me over when it’s done.
Raspberry Chocolate Truffles
1/2 cup whipping cream
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp. framboise or other raspberry liqueur
1/4 cup raspberry jam, melted and strained
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
In a one- to two-quart pan over high heat, bring cream to a boil. Meanwhile, place chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour cream over chocolate and stir gently with a spatula until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in framboise and jam. Chill mixture until firm, at least three hours. If desired, cover and chill up to 1 week.
Line a baking sheet with a piece of waxed paper. With a spoon, scoop out one-tablespoon portions of chocolate mixture; place on waxed paper. If mixture is too firm to scoop, let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes.
Place 1/4 cup cocoa on a rimmed plate. Dust hands lightly with cocoa. With your hands, roll each scoop of chocolate mixture into a ball, then roll in cocoa to coat. Place each truffle in a small paper candy cup, or on serving platter. To store, place truffles between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container and chill. Keep chilled if not serving immediately. Bring to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!
Note: You can also roll in your favorite chopped nut. Place nuts in shallow bowl and toss the chocolate truffle in them.
