Forget the flowers. Forget the gifts. If you really want to make your sweetheart swoon, make these delicately rich, melt-in-your mouth, handmade chocolate truffles. This is by far one of our easiest recipes, and definitely our most decadent. The cardamom adds a distinct and complex citrusy flavor to the chocolate resulting in an exotic, sexy, and delicious bite of pure bliss.
Prep time: 5 minutes, plus 30 minutes for chilling and rolling
Cook time: 3 minutes
Makes 1 pound of chocolate truffles
Ingredients:
12 ounces 72% dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cardamom
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
paper candy cups for serving, optional
Instructions:
Place the bittersweet chocolate and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, warm the cream and cardamom to almost boiling and pour over the chocolate. Gently whisk by hand until completely combined and smooth. Set the melted chocolate over a bowl of ice, or in the fridge, and whisk occasionally until well chilled.
When the chocolate is quite stiff, but not hard, quickly roll into balls (as the chocolate will start to melt from the heat of your hands). Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder and place in paper candy cups if desired. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to serve.