Love chocolate? Love your mate? Your kiddos? Even your co-workers? Give them a taste of these rich, easy and festive Chocolate Truffle Love Bites to show them how much you love them!
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When I was a kid, there were several family recipes that were simply a given at certain times of the year. On my birthday, my mom made a lemon-lime poke cake that I begged for each year. On New Year’s Day, my dad made ham hock & bean soup. Fridays during Lent? Fried fish was certain to make an appearance on the dinner table. And of course during Christmas, a whole host of cookies were all over the kitchen.
One of those holiday cookies were these little truffle-like balls of chocolate, rolled in cookie decorations. They’re called Pomanders. While I have been successful in finding this recipe elsewhere online, I have yet to say that word to anyone who doesn’t look at me as if I just began speaking a new, made-up language. So to avoid confusion, I just started calling them chocolate truffles. Whatever we were calling them though, they were a one-bite treat that just HAD to be made each year.
Over the years, it has occurred to me that there was no reason these treats should be relegated to a December appearance. Because you can color them based on whatever cookie decorations you have on hand, they can instantly reflect any occasion you choose. And right now, I choose Valentine’s Day.
These chocolate treats are super easy to make, but do take some patience when waiting for them to taste their best. The surprise ingredient here that inspires love at first bite is the orange extract. As the bites sit and ferment (yes, the extract ferments) for a week or two, the flavors deepen and nearly guarantee that whomever you present them to will fall in love at first bite.
Not that you can’t dive in as soon as you roll that ball of chocolate in cookie sprinkles. But allowing them to sit in an airtight tin (not a plastic container–it produces too much humidity!) for a week or two means you’ll have folks begging for these love bites year ’round.
On this holiday, chocolate is expected. In fact, I can think of several people who would revolt if chocolate didn’t make an appearance of some sort. Give these Chocolate Truffle Love Bites and the person who you gift these to will certainly love you even more!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 25 people | 40 minutes |
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Pomanders, truffles, chocolate bites--whatever you call them, they're GOOD. So good that you'll find other reasons to make these bites of goodness year-round. No-Bake Chocolate Truffle Bites will be gobbled up and make everyone fall in love with you!
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- 1 - 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 5 cups vanilla wafer cookies (measured prior to crushing)
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups walnuts, finely chopped (measured prior to chopping)
- 1 tsp. orange extract
- cookie decorations (various colored sprinkles)
- In a large zip top bag, place the vanilla wafer cookies. With a rolling pin, crush the cookies until they are very small (about 1/2 cm pieces). If the walnuts are not yet crushed, pulse them in a spice blender to crush them to the same size as the cookie pieces.
- Mix all ingredients except chocolate in a large bowl.
- In the meantime, over a double-boiler (see below for more information on a double-boiler method) melt the chocolate until it is silky.
- Mix chocolate into cookie & nut mixture.
- Using your hands (they really are the best way to get the right size and shape!), roll batter into 1- 1.5" balls. Roll each truffle ball in colored cookie decorations.
- Store truffles in a cookie tin, with parchment in between each layer. Allow to ferment and set for at least 4 days (the orange extract ferments, which adds incredible flavor). Eat and enjoy these perfect no-bake truffle love bites!
So are you still thinking about the image of the deer head on the serving plate? I have to give a nod to a local outlet store that had them on clearance right before Christmas. But really, with the deer and antler craze in home decor, who says I only have to use this in December? While I can't find this exact dish again, I did find some other fun little animal dishes. I think I may have to get a whole zoo of dishes so that this little guy isn't lonely!
Also, as mentioned in the instructions above, I use a double-boiler method to melt the chocolate. This really is the best way to melt chocolate evenly and smoothly without burning it. They are not terribly expensive, and if you bake a lot or find yourself needing to melt chocolate or other delicate sauces, it is a handy tool to have on hand. I recommend something with a handle to avoid burning yourself as you heat the chocolate. This one from Rykey would do the trick nicely.
If you don't have a double boiler handy, you can make one with items you likely already have in your kitchen. Place a medium glass bowl (heat & shatterproof, mind you) over a medium sauce pan that has about 2" of water boiling in it. This should create a seal that will basically allow you to "steam" the chocolate without immersing it in anything. Stir frequently to ensure even melting and prevent burning. But be careful when taking the glass bowl off of the sauce pan--that steam will be scalding hot! You don't want to wind up at the ER with burns instead of making these tasty truffles!
I love these and made them last year at Christmas time to put on my cookie tray platter. Now that I’m making them again, I’m curious (as I didn’t take notes last year): the 5 cups of wafers – is that measured before or after crushing? Same for the 2 cups of walnuts – measured before chopping fine or after? I appreciate your help!
I love that you enjoy these enough to make them again! It just isn’t Christmas without them. :o) To answer your question, it would be 5 cups and 2 cups BEFORE crushing. I’ll definitely need to update the instructions to make sure others know that, too. Enjoy, and have a wonderful holiday!