Susie Fishbein’s Chocolate and Pineapple Truffles
Dairy or Parve
Makes 30-36 truffles
12 ounces good-quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
2⁄3 cup heavy cream or nondairy whipping cream
2 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios, almonds, or hazelnuts
1) Finely chop the chocolate by hand or in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and place in a medium bowl.
2) Pour the cream into a small heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate. With a wooden spoon, gently stir to melt the chocolate. Don’t whisk or stir too strongly or you will incorporate air.
3) Cover and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
4) Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. With a small melon baller or ice-cream scoop, drop mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheet. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
5) Place the cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, and chopped nuts into 3 separate shallow bowls.
6) Roll 1⁄3 of the balls into the cocoa mixture, 1⁄3 into the confectioner’s sugar, and 1⁄3 into the chopped nuts. Quickly roll between your palms to form them into a perfect round shape. You may need to re-roll in the nuts or sugar if too much falls off. Return to parchment-lined baking sheet or other parchment-lined container, in a single layer.
7) Cover with plastic and chill until ready to serve. Can be made 10 days ahead; keep refrigerated.
Pineapple Truffles
Parve
Makes 50-60 truffles
1 1⁄4 cups firmly packed sweetened flaked coconut, divided
3⁄4 cup sugar, divided
1 medium pineapple, ripe
3⁄4 cup confectioner’s sugar
large egg yolks
1) In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, process 1⁄4 cup coconut with 1⁄4 cup sugar. Remove to a bowl or ziplock bag. Set aside.
2) Cut the pineapple out of the shell. Discard core and cut the flesh into chunks. Purée pineapple in blender or food processor. Transfer the puréed pineapple to a medium pot.
3) Mix in 1 cup coconut, 1⁄2 cup sugar, and the confectioner’s sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until all the liquid evaporates, about 30–35 minutes, stirring often to make sure the mixture is not browning on the bottom. If the mixture starts to brown, lower heat slightly and stir more often. The mixture will turn a dark golden color. Turn off the heat.
4) Remove 1⁄2 cup of the pineapple mixture and mix it into the egg yolks to temper them.
5) Add the tempered yolks into the pot. At medium-high heat, continue to cook until dry and pulling away from the sides of the pot, about 5 minutes. Place the pot in the freezer and chill completely.
6) Remove the pineapple mixture from the freezer. Using a tiny melon baller or 1⁄4 teaspoon measure, make balls. Roll in the coconut/sugar that was blended in the first step. If the truffles get too sticky to roll, place the mixture back into the freezer for a few minutes.
7) Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and place into freezer. Once frozen, remove and store in an airtight container in single layers separated by parchment paper. Return truffles to freezer.
Serve right from the freezer or place in little paper candy cups or on a platter 10 minutes before serving.
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