National Chocolate Candy Day (December 28th) calls for a festive batch of these delicious truffles!
Peanut Butter Truffles
Makes about 3 dozen truffles
4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1 lb. natural peanut butter (scant 2 cups)
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 Tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb. bittersweet or milk chocolate
About 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
For The Truffle Filling: Place the chocolate in a metal bowl, set it over a saucepan of hot water, and heat gently, stirring, until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Place the peanut butter, sugar and salt in a food processor and blend for 3 minutes. Add the chocolate and process until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the softened butter; process until combined. Remove the truffle mixture to a container, cover and refrigerate until firm. The filling (at any stage) can be kept for up to a week.
To shape the truffles, use a #100 ice cream scoop to scoop up balls of the filling and place them on a parchment-lined pan. Or, using about 2 teaspoons of the mixture for each truffle, roll into balls between the palms of your hands. (This will make about 3 dozen truffles, but they can be made larger or smaller.) The truffles should be chilled before dipping, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pot of warm water, stirring until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let it sit for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is at room temperature.
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Remove the truffles from the refrigerator. Lift them up one at a time, dip them in the melted chocolate, and place on the parchment-lined pan to set. Should the bowl of chocolate become too cool at any point, return the bowl to the pot of hot water just to soften. When all of the truffles are dipped and the chocolate is set up, dip them a second time in the remaining chocolate. This will only take a few minutes, but they can be refrigerated for several days.
To Complete: Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and, leaving them on the baking sheet, sift the cocoa over the top. Shake the pan back and forth to roll the truffles in the cocoa. You may not use all the cocoa; they should have a light dusting rather than a heavy coating. The truffles can be served immediately or can be refrigerated in a covered container for several days.
kcculinary
