Are you ready for Valentine's Day? Here's a great way to start.
One Christmas, I went wild making truffles as gifts. Everyone loved them and suggested that I make them for Valentines Day. Of course, by the time Valentines Day rolled around, I had no time and too many pounds to consider truffles. And another year passed.
This year, I decided to make batch for my sweetie for Valentines Day, but it turns out we may be working hard on campaign stuff on that day so we won't have time for any of those mushy things.
I'm a practical gal, so I made a few for demostration purposes and gobbled them up myself.
Because of our hectic lifestyle, Steve and I decided a long time ago that Valentines Day was any day we wanted it to be. There could be a dozen of them a year. We don't operate at the whim of the card and gift companies.
So in a few months...maybe after the election...I may pull the ingredients out again and make a few dozen truffles, cut some hearts out of construction paper and pour a few glasses of dessert wine. And, voila, we'll have Valentines Day in November.
For those of you who are more traditional, here's a recipe for a delicious mocha truffle that will look beautiful in a doily-lined box on Sunday morning along with a cup of fine coffee, a bouquet of wild flowers and a card. I guarantee you'll get a kiss (or more) for your efforts.
Mocha Truffles
8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons water
1 pound dark chocolate
Cocoa confectionery coating
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate.
- Add the cream cheese, the coffee and the water; mix well. chill until firm enough to shape.
- Shape into one-inch balls and put on a cookie sheet lined with foil or wax paper. Chill for an hour or two (or until the little treats are firm.
- These are great just the way they are, but if you are feeling abitious, you can make them even better, by melting the chocolate coating in a double boiler and dipping the balls in the coating and setting them on the cookie sheet to harden.
Vegetarian.
