I made these decadent spheres of indulgence as New Year’s treats for friends…..just when they may have made resolutions to eat better. But this definitely is eating better ;). Well…um…or you can leave them in the fridge to treat yourself when you reach the mini milestone in your resolution, whatever it is. Its all about will power now. I don’t mean to derail anyone with these but I need to share when I experience pure bliss. Is this how it would be in heaven? I may never know 😉

I found this super simple recipe on Simply Recipes and followed it very closely but used Cardamom flavoring. It gave a nice depth and a unique note when mingled with the dark chocolate. Reminded me of the exotic chocolates I tasted in Las Vegas years ago. Instead of Cardamom pods, I used Cardamom essence. The recipe called for seeping 2 Cardamom pods in the cream, which I think is not enough flavor with semi-sweet chocolate. I used 1/2 tsp of essence which may be equal to 6 cardamom pods steeped.

I was not able to make smooth balls, as you find in store bought boxes. Mine were imperfect spheres….but the real appeal was in the imperfections resembling the foraged truffle mushrooms, after which they are named. And, of course emphasized that home-made touch.

What you need (I halved the original recipe and made 18 olive-sized truffles):
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp cardamom essence
Cocoa powder for coating

To make them:
– Simmer the cream gently (without boiling) for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent cream from sticking to the bottom.
– Once off the stove, add the Cardamom essence to the cream. If using Cardamom pods, crush them slightly and add them to the cream and let them steep for 10-15 minutes while simmering. Strain the cream to remove pods and set aside.
– Meanwhile, finely chop the chocolate
– Add the heated cream to the chocolate and mix well until all chocolate is melted (this is called ganache)
– Cool the ganache before chilling in the fridge for 30 minutes
– Remove from the fridge and scoop the ganache with a melon baller or a spoon and roll it into balls. Be quick as it melts from body heat…it also helps smooth out the balls. They need not be perfect spheres.
– Chill the balls for 20-30 minutes before coating them in Coco powder or powdered sugar or finely chopped nuts. I voted for Cocoa!