Chocolate Truffles

I've been wanting to try to make homemade chocolate truffles ever since I saw Ina Garten's, aka "The Barefoot Contessa" feature them on one of her shows.  They were fairly easy to make and decadently delicious.  These will make great gifts for the holidays.



1/2 pound good bittersweet chocolate such as Lindt
1/2 pound good semisweet chocolate such as Ghiradelli
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
1 tablespoon prepared coffee
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar
Cocoa powder

Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, if using, coffee, and vanilla. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for at least an hour or until firm.  Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. Roll in confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or both. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve at room temperature.