Chocolate Pecan Truffles

I've realized that the my Valentine's Day Vegan Brownie Truffle recipe that I have on the blog has been getting a whole lotta love lately, despite the fact that it's a no where close to February! So, I thought I should give you all a fall truffle recipe to make for this time of year.

I decided to make these Chocolate Pecan Truffles because they are something I haven't really seen before. And while they are fall inspired, you could really make them anytime of year. Usually people put white chocolate with pecan truffles, but I decided to cover mine in milk chocolate. The smooth milk chocolate pairs really nicely with the pecans, hint of cinnamon, and molasses that I've added to these truffles.

You can temper the chocolate, as I call to do in the recipe, but you don't have to. Tempering the chocolate just gives these truffles a really shiny finish and good snap when you bite into them. If you don't temper the chocolate, you'll probably want to keep them in the fridge as they could get melty. The tempering temperatures I call for are for the chocolate I use, which is by Mama Ganache (you can even order it on their website). If you're using a different melting chocolate, you could double check the temperature with the company. But, most milk chocolate is going to be very similar and in the same range (Google told me milk chocolate is 86°F to 88°F, but I know that our chocolate is ideal at 89°F). To test to see if your chocolate is tempered (before covering all the truffles), you can do a simple test by putting a bit on a piece of parchment paper and sticking it in the freezer for a minute. Remove it and let it come to room temperature, if it's shiny and snaps, then you've done it. If it melts and is sticky in on your finger then it's not in temper. If this happens, you can re-heat the chocolate again and add a little more of milk chocolate back into it just like in the first step and go from there. Either way, these truffles are amazing!

Chocolate Pecan Truffles

Makes 25

255 grams (2 cups) organic pecan halves

3/4 stick (85 grams) organic salted butter, softened

113 grams (1/2 cup) organic cane sugar

7 grams (1 teaspoon) organic blackstrap molasses

127 grams (1 cup) organic all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon organic cinnamon

Topping

10 ounces (226 grams) organic milk chocolate, finely chopped

Method

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor, process pecans until fine. Be careful not to over process as they can turn into a paste. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, cane sugar, and molasses and mix on low until combined. Add the flour, cinnamon, and ground pecans and mix on low until a dough forms.

Roll the dough into 25 balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Place the sheets in the freezer.

Using a double boiler, add about 80% of the milk chocolate and melt until it reaches 110°F on a chocolate thermometer. Remove from the heat and add in the remaining 20% of chocolate and stir to combine completely. Allow the chocolate to sit until it reaches 89°F. The chocolate should be in the tempering stage now. Remove the baking sheets from the freezer.

Using a fork, dip each ball into the milk chocolate and coat it completely, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off the fork back into the bowl. Place the chocolate dipped candy back onto the baking sheet. Repeat until they are all covered.

Place the baking sheets back in the freezer for about 5 minutes to harden quickly. Remove from the freezer again and drizzle the remaining chocolate over the tops to finish.

Store in a cool dry place, or in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Gluten Free – Replace the all purpose flour with 142 grams (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) organic gluten free flour blend.

High Altitude – Follow the recipe as noted.