Earl Grey Flavored Chocolate Truffles

I got addicted to chocolate truffles years ago when Marc bought me my very first box of Godiva Chocolate. Wow, the feeling of the chocolate as it melted over my tongue, the intensity of the taste spreading through my mouth…yum.

I spent a few months learning how to make them myself and how to flavor them with different flavors. Earl Grey Flavored Truffles are some of my favorites.

They are incredible. They make a great Christmas Gift IF you can keep your hands off them long enough to get them to the lucky recipient.

Truffles are so very easy to make, and yet they are luxurious and special. You can roll them in cocoa, or dip them in melted chocolate. If you want to be really fancy dip them half in dark chocolate and half in white chocolate.

1/2 c heavy cream
8 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 T unsalted butter
2 T Earl Grey tea leaves
1 Tbs finely chopped candied orange peel (optional)

Heat cream to simmer; do not boil. Add tea and steep 20 minutes or so.
Strain and heat until bubbles form around edges, don’t boil.
Stir in chocolate until melted.
Stir in butter to melt.
Add chopped orange peel.
Chill until firm. This will take several hours or overnight.

Remove ganache from refrigerator and roll into balls. A melon baller works well for this. Keep your hands cold and put the ganache in the fridge if it gets too warm.
Chill until firm.
Melt chocolate for coating and quickly dip truffles into it. Put on a cold cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator as soon as possible after coating.

Once they set they can be kept out o the fridge if the room is cool.