RECIPE: HOMEMADE DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

I made these decadent Dark Chocolate Truffles for our Girls' Night In party a few years ago. When people see the photos, they always ask for the recipe. Truffles can be very expensive so these homemade truffles make a wonderful holiday treat! One word of advice... double the batch to have plenty to give and to keep!

You can make these in your favorite flavors by adding extract or liqueur to the heavy cream. You can also use anything you like for the outside as well such as toasted pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, coconut, decorative sugar, white chocolate, or powdered sugar.

Store these homemade truffles in a cool, dry container lined in parchment paper.

Make homemade chocolate truffles for your next party or to give to someone special on Valentine's Day. They are simple to make, delicious, and best of all, you can make them in your favorite flavors.

DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Makes: 25-30  

INGREDIENTS

2 cups 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Options:

¼ teaspoon orange zest with ½ teaspoon orange liqueur

¼ teaspoon strong coffee or espresso with ½ teaspoon coffee liqueur

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Add the butter and stir until melted. Add the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow bowl.

Cool, cover, and refrigerate the mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.

Use a very small ice cream scoop, a melon baller, or very small spoon to roll the mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in cocoa. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

You may also roll truffles in finely chopped chocolate, finely chopped toasted nuts or coconut, or Confectioners sugar.

COCKTAIL RECIPE: CLASSIC BLOODY MARY

Something about football screams Bloody..... Mary:)

I'm not sure where it started, but no tailgate worth it's ribs would be complete without a Bloody Mary. And just like ribs, potato salad, and gumbo, everyone has a recipe (most very closely guarded secrets) for the world's best Bloody Mary. I've researched. I've asked my friends. I've taste-tested, mixed, and poured. Now, I'd like to offer my own entry into the Bloody Mary Hall of Fame. Try one this weekend and let me know what you think!

Put a garden in your glass with this Bloody Mary recipe perfect for brunch or game day get-togethers.

MARTIE'S CLASSIC BLOODY MARY

Makes about a quart of mix; enough for 6-8 drinks

In a blender add:

3 cups tomato juice

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 1/4 tablespoons horseradish (fresh or jar)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

1/4 teaspoon celery salt (plus more for rimming the glasses)

1/3 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Whir everything together until smooth, transfer to a glass pitcher and chill. Before serving, assemble your mix-ins, garnishes, and rim mix.

Rim mix: Pour 1/4 t. celery salt, 1/4 t. Kosher salt, 1/4 t. black pepper onto a saucer. To rim glasses, use a lemon or lime wedge to wet the rim of the glass. Dip the rim into the mix.

To serve: Add one ounce good quality vodka (I often use Absolut Peppar for a spicy kick) to each glass. Fill with ice. Pour Bloody Mary mix over ice. Let guests garnish at will. 

Garnish and mix-in options:

Limes, cut into wedges

Lemons, cut into wedges

Celery stalks with the leafy green tops

Pickled green beans

Pickled okra

Green onion stalks

Tabasco

Additonal Horseradish

RECIPE: TWO BERRY COMPOTE FOR ICE CREAM, PANCAKES, ETC

TWO BERRY COMPOTE

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 minutes    Cook Time: 10 minutes

This berry compote recipe will be your new favorite go-to for desserts, spooned over pancakes, on biscuits, or drizzled over ice cream. Delicious served hot or cold; keep some in the fridge or make it in a flash. Makes any recipe a little more elegant and you can even use frozen fruit if you must.

1 cup fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon lemon zest

¼ cup Chambord liqueur (crème de cassis will also work)

Put the sugar into a saucepan over medium heat for about one minute or until the sugar begins to melt slightly. (Watch it because it will burn quickly!) Add the fruit, lemon juice and zest and toss to coat. Increase the heat slightly and cook and stir for 2 minutes until the sugar is melted and the fruit has broken down slightly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the liqueur. Carefully return to the heat and cook 1 minute more. Allow to cool slightly before using. Will keep up to a week in the refrigerator.