Dark Chocolate Truffles with Pomegranate Liqueur
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Satisfy your chocolate craving and get hooched up at the same time with these Dark Chocolate Truffles with Pomegranate Liqueur!
Nah. Just teasing.
But what a headline that would make, huh? Just so you know, there is liqueur in these but not enough to cause any unruly drunkenness or even the slightest tipsiness.
These truffles were an answer to a recipe challenge using PAMA liqueur, a pomegranate liqueur. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur is a liqueur made with all-natural pomegranate juice. It’s perky. And tangy. And full of flavor. The obvious pairing was with chocolate as PAMA reminds me a little of raspberries. Many other recipe ideas to use with PAMA are still churning away in my mind. Maybe later.
I’m a home cook who likes to try new things, but I’ve never entered a recipe contest. And while I fantasize about wielding a knife (a kitchen knife people) against the best of ’em, I’m too prone to cave under the pressure and stress. Besides, I like to cook while listening to my favorite tunes in my bare feet and that wouldn’t make for good TV.
But it’s quite easy to be the armchair expert isn’t it? Whether it’s The Amazing Race (which I’d rock at), Iron Chef (that too), The Apprentice (yeah, I’d take ’em all down), Food Challenge (although not a baker, somehow I’d make the best 5′ cake evah), I always feel confident as I sit comfy and cozy at home in my sweats, without a camera watching my every move or lack of sleep, away from my family and any support for that matter. Funny how that is…
Anyway, back to the truffles and the recipe contest (I would rock at Amazing Race though, I just know it)…
Truffles are easy. They look all fancy and everything, but they’re real easy. And wouldn’t they make the perfect addition to a holiday dessert buffet or a special Valentine’s dinner.
And I took an even easier route by coating them with nuts…
and cocoa. Tip: if you choose to coat with cocoa, make sure to gently tap off excess or roll lightly on a paper towel to remove excess. If you don’t, you’ll choke and be mad at me and think I don’t know what I’m doing. Which, most of the time, I don’t know what I’m doing but trust me on this – tap off the excess.
You could always dip them in your favorite melted chocolate too, which I tried, but something about tempering and blooming…they didn’t look so pretty after hardening. I’ve got a lot to learn so I opted out for easy.
These truffles were made with dark chocolate, but if you’re not a dark chocolate lover, use semi-sweet instead. A smidge of cayenne was added for a little somethin’ somethin’. Other liqueur substitutions can be made as well, but PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur pairs so well with chocolate it’s definitely worth trying. Also, I used roasted peanuts for a tad bit of saltiness but another nut could be pan toasted with butter and salt if you’d prefer.
Enjoy!
Dark Chocolate Truffles with Pomegranate Liqueur
Delightful little bites featuring pomegranate liqueur.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 11 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (bar, chopped or chips)
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 cup PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
- 1 cup roasted peanuts (another nut could be used as well) OR approx. 1/2 cup cocoa (for coating truffles)
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat bring the heavy cream and light corn syrup to a simmer.
- Put bittersweet chocolate (chips or chopped chocolate) and butter in a small glass or metal bowl.
- Pour heavy cream and light corn syrup mixture over chocolate and butter and let sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir together the cream mixture, chocolate and butter to incorporate making sure all chocolate is melted. (If needed place bowl over a smaller pot with hot water (not boiling) to slightly warm and continue to melt chocolate.)
- Add cayenne and mix.
- Add liqueur a little at a time, being sure to mix well.
- After chocolate mixture is combined well and smooth, place in refrigerator for an hour.
- If using nuts to coat, in a food processor, process nuts until finely chopped. If using cocoa powder pour cocoa in shallow dish.
- After an hour remove chocolate from refrigerator. Using a teaspoon, scrape across chocolate and with the palms of your hand gently make about 1-inch balls with the chocolatey goodness.
- Gently roll truffle balls in coating of choice. Just make sure if you choose to coat in cocoa powder to tap off excess or roll on a paper towel to get excess off.
- Place on waxed paper or silicon mat on baking sheet or dish and refrigerate to harden a little bit more.
- Optional: dip in chocolate and chill to harden.
Looks delicious! I also have a recipe for this contest…and I’ve drank the entire bottle in the process. Oops! Have you tried it with lime and club soda? It’s very good! I will vote for you. 🙂
The smidge of cayenne threw me over the edge. I adore a bit of spice in my sweets.
What a decadent treat. Beautiful photography!!
This is an amazing idea for holiday gifts!!
You make it look so easy, I’d be afraid I’d screw this up. Love the gorgeous photos!
Mmm, love the idea of making these for christmas gifts!
These look lovely. There’s nothing like a handmade chocolate.
Love the rolled in nut variety here. They look so awesome! I bet you got a good chocolate buzz from these!
My yearly Christmas treat for giveaways has always been fudge. I just might have to mix things up a bit and surprise everyone with this yummy looking recipe.
I started making truffles years ago for Christmas sharing and eventually picked up silicone truffle molds, toss them in the freezer to set and they pop out super easy. Unless there’s excess butter/liqeuor ratios to chocolate (if i’m not stirring while pouring it starts to separate, those truffles end up softer and i tend to have to give them a little hand roll to touch them up. Game changer, time saver, keeps my kitchen and self cleaner!
It also makes dipping in chocolate a lot better, i like to add a bit of coconut oil to my semi sweet chips and microwave slowly, the colder the truffle is the less melt off will hit your dipping chocolate and it’ll remain “clean” If melt off starts happening then the dipping chocolate can get a bit thick and is harder to melt/stir. You could also use a double boiler or a make shift one, just watch the heat, and remove from heat during the dipping process.. I use a fork to extract the truffle from my dipping bowl to tap off the excess and get a nice clean chocolate coat. Then sprink with the salt shavings. I use Orange Liqeour for those.
I’m very interesting in trying out your pom flavor, i didn’t even know there was pom liqeour.