Happy Valentine's Day! and homemade chocolates

I have to admit, I didn't make these chocolates this year... however, I did  make them both last year and I've made the first recipe a couple of times, so that counts, right?  These recipes are delicious and EASY to do. For real. No candy thermometer needed.  Kid friendly. Delicious. (just make them already!)

 In the future I'm going to try to adjust these recipes to have less dairy in them (myself and dairy don't get along like we used to), but for now I'll present them unaltered.  The first recipe is from a magazine clipping. I used to clip recipes from magazines and past them into a 3 ring-binder, in middle school!  There are some good recipes in my little notebook and this is one of them!

On the subject of Valentine's Day, I get a weekly dose of a good love story here:

NYTimes Modern Love

I also recently came across this and it makes me tear up every time, in a good way:

When We Got Married

 Enjoy!


Fudgy Bonbons
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups and/or 12 oz)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups unsifted flour
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
60 milk chocolate candy kisses or white-chocolate stripped candy kisses; unwrapped

Decoration:
2 oz white chocolate
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Heat semisweet chocolate pieces and butter in a heavy, medium sized saucepan over very low heat, stirring until melted.  Add condensed milk and stir until combined.  Add vanilla and stir.
3. Combine flour and chopped nuts if using.  Add flour mixture a little at a time to the chocolate mixture and stir until combined.
4.  Shape 1 level tablespoon of dough around each candy kiss, enclosing completely.  Arrange 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
5. Bake in oven for 6 to 8 minutes; cookies will be soft and look shiny, but will become firm as they cool.  Transfer bonbons to wire racks to cool completely.
6.  Melt white chocolate and oil together in a bowl in the microwave (20-30 seconds at a time, then stir and cook another interval if needed).  Drizzle over cooled bonbons. (you can add some food coloring to this if you're looking for color).

  

Chocolate Truffles
Adapted from EHChocolatier

Makes about 50 truffles

10½ ounces (about 1½ cups) chocolate (your favorite), chopped

½ cup heavy cream

1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft but not melted

Cocoa powder, for coating

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square pan with plastic wrap.
2. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. With a spatula, stir the cream, corn syrup and chocolate until the mixture looks like thick pudding. Stir in butter until fully incorporated.
4. Pour the ganache into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Let sit at room temperature until set, 2 to 4 hours. (very important to let it cool all the way, or it will be very sticky to work with)
5. Transfer the ganache to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares.
6. Place cocoa powder in a shallow bowl. Dust hands with cocoa powder. Roll ganache squares into balls and roll the balls in cocoa powder to coat.