Hand Rolled Dark Chocolate Truffles
We conducted an aphrodisiac foods survey a few years back and discovered that the one food most considered to be a romantic gift was a box of chocolates. I love the gesture but you know what would make that box of chocolate even more sweet? If you made it yourself! That’s why I’m sharing one of my favorite DIY recipes. It’s the recipe for my recipe for homemade dark chocolate truffles from my cookbook Romancing the Stove.
The recipe originated as my attempt to put a supremely aphrodisiac twist on the romantic gesture of a box of chocolate. The mere fact of receiving this gift may delight. But what if you layered the gift with ingredients that can light a fire in your loins?
Why you’re going to love this recipe
If you feel intimidated by the idea of making your own dark chocolate truffles, don’t! This recipe only takes four ingredients. That’s right–you only need four ingredients! And if you can roll dough into a ball, you can make beautiful truffles. Just don’t get wrapped up in trying to make each truffle into a perfect sphere. In fact, I think that they’re more endearing if they look a little less than perfect.
How to turn your chocolates into a romantic gift
Box your homemade chocolate truffles up in a red velvet box lined with a layer of parchment paper. (In order to work cleanly, use a gloved hand to arrange the truffles and keep the other hand free to handle the box.)
Or, if you aren’t feeling so ambitious as to create your own box of chocolates, just serve them on your favorite tray at the end of the meal so that you and your love can enjoy them together. The fact that you made the effort is almost guaranteed to bring your lover to their knees.
Still feeling intimidated? Check out Sally Horchow’s YouTube video of Amy demonstrating how easy it is to make these dark chocolate truffles.
What makes these truffles such a great romantic gift?
All chocolate is considered an aphrodisiac. (Learn more about the aphrodisiac history of chocolate.) But when you start to look at the potential reasons why chocolate has proven successful as a food of seduction, you start to see why dark chocolate is truly superior.
Dark chocolate requires a higher percentage of cacao. (This is what a chocolate bar label is talking about when it lists 60% or 85% or whatever number. The number refers to the percentage of cacao used to make the chocolate.) In milk chocolate, the cacao is diluted with a greater percentage of milk and sugar. Yes, it still has some of the benefits of dark chocolate, but in drastically lower concentrations.
Now you might be wondering why cacao is so important. Well, it’s the cacao that contains any and all of chocolate’s potential health benefits. And these potential benefits are many! Dark chocolate is linked with improving brain function, reducing inflammation and, in one study, showed signs that it can help raise good, or HDL cholesterol.
Most importantly, from an aphrodisiac standpoint, it’s linked with improving blood flow, which has the potential to increase sexual pleasure and climax. So it’s really pretty easy to see why I chose to make my recipe for dark chocolate truffles rather than milk.
To add to the aphrodisiac potency–and because I enjoy the additional texture–I stuffed my homemade chocolate truffles with another ingredient known to benefit your sex life, dried fruit. It may seem like once a fruit is dried there’s nothing left but sugar.
However, after drying, fruits retain their original nutrition. And it comes much more densely packed. In fact, they’re recognized as a good source of antioxidants and fiber. You can’t say that for a store-bought truffle with a caramel center.
Want more ways to create romance? Don’t miss my Date Night Scavenger Hunt.
Hand Rolled Dark Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- 3 oz premium dark chocolate*
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 2-3 tbsp your favorite dried fruit I recommend using blueberries and raspberries
- cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Grate chocolate or cut it into chip-sized pieces. (You can also use a premium chocolate chip.)
- Heat half and half over medium high heat to a near boil. (Don’t let it boil.)
- Remove pan from heat and whisk in the chocolate, stirring until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Cool in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours (or overnight), until chocolate mixture has set.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop cooled chocolate and form a ball, pressing 1 or 2 pieces of fruit into the center. (Don’t waste your time trying to form your truffles into perfect spheres. A slightly uneven surface screams, “I rolled these chocolates with my own bare hands, expressly for your pleasure.”) If the truffles wont hold shape, refrigerate chocolate mixture for another hour.
- Cool the formed truffles in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.
- Roll each truffle in cocoa powder. Truffles will be soft but if they are so soft that the cocoa is absorbed, store in the refrigerator.
- Truffles can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days.
Notes
A note on the provided nutrition information
The nutrition information provided has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator and is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.Nutrition
Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.
Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.
Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.
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