Homemade Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

For me, Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate.

Most chocolate is gluten-free. Some chocolates, however, contain barley malt, like Lindt’s Lindor chocolate truffles, making them off-limits for celiacs. (For another discussion on gluten-free chocolates, see the Triumph Dining blog.)

For Valentine’s Day, the kids and I made homemade chocolate truffles dusted with coconut, cocoa, cinnamon and ground almonds. These sophisticated truffles look complicated but are easy to make — and even easier to eat!

If kids can roll a ball of Play-Doh (which is not gluten-free, by the way), they can roll truffles. It is messy, though. My 8-year-old’s hands were quickly covered in chocolate — and I feared for what would happen next — so she put on a long-sleeved art smock.

After rolling a bunch of truffles, we used the rest of the chocolate to make chocolate-covered strawberries. Yum!

I once went to a mom’s night out at Whole Foods where we made truffles and drank wine. This recipe is adapted from the one we used that night.

Homemade Chocolate Truffles

(Gluten-Free, Dairy, Kid-Friendly)

By Gluten-Free Nosh

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Toppings:

• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Shredded coconut
• Cinnamon sugar
• Finely ground almonds

Method:

1. Place chocolate in a bowl. In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the cream until it starts to steam. Pour cream over chocolate. Wait two minutes, then stir the chocolate until the mixture is smooth. (If all of the chunks have not melted, microwave the mixture for 30 seconds on half power.) Add vanilla and stir to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

2. Put toppings in ramekins or small bowls, and set aside.

3. Remove chocolate from refrigerator and let sit on counter for 5 minutes to slightly soften.

4. Scoop up about 1 teaspoon of chocolate and roll between your hands to form a 1-inch ball.

5. Drop each truffle into a topping and roll to coat. Transfer to a serving plate or place in mini candy cup wrappers (like mini cupcake liners). Truffles may be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yield: About 25 to 30 truffles

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

(Gluten-Free, Dairy, Kid-Friendly)

Ingredients:

1 pound (16 ounces) strawberries
Chocolate truffle mixture (see Homemade Chocolate Truffle recipe above)
Toppings (see recipe above)

Method:

1. Wash room-temperature strawberries, leaving green stem and leaves on. Dry completely on paper towels.

2. Prepare chocolate mixture, as directed in Homemade Chocolate Truffle recipe (above).

3. Grasp strawberries by the leaves and dip 3/4 of the strawberry into bowl of chocolate. As you lift it from the chocolate, twirl the strawberry to catch any dripping chocolate.

4. Dip chocolate-covered strawberry in toppings. Place on cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Promptly refrigerate and consume within 3 days.

Yield: About 18 chocolate-covered strawberries