Chocolate Mint Truffles

Rich milk chocolate truffles with a hint of espresso, rolled in crushed candy canes. Enjoy them chilled, or melt one into hot milk for peppermint hot chocolate.

Prep Time15

Chill Time, divided2 45

Total Time3

Servings: truffles

Calories: 136kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups milk chocolate chips
¼ cup chocolate almond bark
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ teaspoon espresso powder
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅔-¾ cup crushed candy canes 10-12 or 15 round peppermint candies

Instructions

Make the truffle base. Combine the milk chocolate chips, chocolate almond bark, and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly with a heat-proof spatula until smooth. Stir in the espresso powder and vanilla.
Chill. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm enough to scoop cleanly. Overnight is ideal.
Roll and coat. Crush the candy canes with a rolling pin into a mix of fine pieces and a few slightly larger bits, and pour them into a shallow bowl. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop rounded truffles onto a parchment-lined board. Roll each one in the crushed candy canes and set it back on the parchment. Chill for 30 minutes so they set and don't flatten or stick when handled. Fifteen minutes is the minimum.
Make the hot chocolate. Heat 1½ cups of milk until steaming hot but not boiling, about 180–190°F. Add one truffle and stir for 30–45 seconds, until melted and smooth. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of crushed candy canes. Frozen truffles can go straight into the milk and need a little more stirring. Or skip the milk and enjoy the truffles chilled.

Notes

Chilling: One hour is usually still too soft. Two hours is the earliest for clean scooping, and overnight is best.
Scoop Size: A 1-tablespoon scoop makes 20–24 truffles. A 2-tablespoon scoop makes 12–15 larger, more decadent truffles that are a little messier to roll.
Cream: Heavy cream gives the firmest, easiest-to-roll truffles. Half-and-half works but leaves the mixture softer and stickier. Avoid regular milk, which can curdle.
Substitutions: Use the same amount of chocolate chips if you don't have almond bark, and semi-sweet chips if you don't have milk chocolate. Any peppermint candy works for the coating.
Serving: One truffle in 1½ cups of milk is the most popular. One cup is richer and 2 cups is lighter. For a decadent mug, use two truffles in 1½–2 cups.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 5–7 days, though the coating looks best in the first 48 hours. Freeze for 2–3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, or drop a frozen truffle straight into hot milk and stir a little longer.

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