Christmas Truffles

Looking for a lovely gift idea that you can whip up right at home? Truffles are a lovely gift to give and receive during the holidays, and they're not too hard on you, either.

While the Penguin Truffles that I posted this week are very labor intensive and tricky to do, these truffles are just as delicious and are significantly easier to make. In addition, truffles can be made ahead, which means that you have extra time to trim the tree, wrap presents, and run errands. 

The truffles recipes listed below are but two of countless variations, so you can adapt them to taste and mood. Wrap them in pre-made candy boxes with some colored tissue paper for a lovely present!

Dark Chocolate Rum Balls

Makes 30 truffles

400 grams good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (about 2.5 cups)

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbps rum (or any other liqueur)
375 grams dark chocolate melts
100 grams white chocolate melts

First, melt the 400 grams of dark chocolate in a metal bowl placed over a simmering pot of water (make sure the pot does not touch the water!). Stir continuously to avoid burning until all pieces are melted. Once the mixture is smooth, remove from heat and stir in the rum. Refrigerate, covered, for at least four hours or until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls.

Line a tray with parchment paper. Roll 2 teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into a ball and place on the prepared tray. You might want to wear disposable latex gloves for this, as it can become messy . If you're not wearing gloves, make sure to wash your hands in very cold water so that your palms are cool and do not melt the chocolate. Repeat with remaining chocolate mixture. Place in the fridge for 1 hour or until firm.

Meanwhile, place the dark chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir with a metal spoon until smooth. Reduce heat to low and stir.

Line a tray with parchment paper and divide your truffles into 4 batches. Remove 1 batch from the fridge and, using a fork or truffle dipper,  dip the truffles (one at a time) in the melted chocolate to coat. Gently tap the fork or dipper on the edge of the bowl to allow excess chocolate to drip off and carefully place on the prepared tray. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with the remaining truffles and melted chocolate. Set aside for 10 minutes to set.

Place the white chocolate melts in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir with a metal spoon until chocolate melts and is smooth. Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate over the truffles. Set aside for 5 minutes to set.

Keep your truffles in the fridge, covered, for up to a week before using!

Coffee / Chocolate Truffles

Makes 20 truffles

200 grams good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tsps instant coffee powder OR 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder

These basic truffles can be altered to create new flavors. For coffee truffles, use coffee powder or use vanilla extract for basic chocolate!

Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl placed over a simmering pot of water (make sure the pot does not touch the water!) and stir continuously until melted. Once the mixture is smooth, remove from heat and add the coffee powder OR vanilla extract. Refrigerate, covered, for at least four hours or until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and, using 2 tsps of the mixture at a time, roll into balls. As I say above, you might want to use latex disposable gloves for this step. Once all the truffles have been rolled, dip them in cocoa powder to coat. 

Keep in the fridge until ready to use (up to a week!).

Restaurant Review : Eataly

If you've been keeping up with my Halloween countdown and array of ghostly goodies, you can only imagine how exhausted I was by the end of the month of October. This past week, I have been detoxing with a lot of sleep and a lot of vegetable broth and water. Ok, I'm exaggerating--I have been eating, but I've been slowed down quite a bit.

So, when my friend Lucy contacted me and asked me if I would be available for dinner, I jumped at the opportunity to eat something delicious and healthy that I did not have to cook myself.

We both work in downtown Manhattan, and decided upon the popular and iconic Eataly, located at 200 5th Avenue on 23rd Street, right across from the Flatiron building and on the same block as the Institute for Culinary Education. When I attended my cooking class at ICE, a woman in the class urged me to visit Eataly: "You're right across the street," she said. "It would be a terrible shame to miss it!" That day, as I emerged sleep-deprived and laden with baked goods, I lacked the enthusiasm to go, but this was the perfect opportunity to have a catch up with a friend over dinner and see what all the fuss was about.

Eataly is so much more than a restaurant: it's a market selling meat, fish, cheese, pasta, bread, sweets, beer, coffee, vegetables, and olive oil (to name a few), and a collection of specialized restaurants each serving a different array of meticulously-prepared foods.

As the Eataly website describes, the founder of Eataly Oscar Farinetti wanted to "make high‐quality Italian foods available to everyone, at fair prices and in an environment where people can shop, eat and learn." His partners, the award-winning Mario Batali and Lidia and Joe Bastianich, have collaborated to create a true dining experience that transports you from the heart of Manhattan to the bustle of an Italian marketplace and piazza.

Lucy and I decided to eat at the fish restaurant, Il Pesce. We got seats at the bar that overlooks the kitchen, and each enjoyed our choice of delicious and not-too-pricey seafood. I had the Spiendino di Polpo, a skewer of octopus, fingerling potatoes, and cipollini onions with a fresh lemon taste and a side of crimson beets. Lucy had Mantis Shrimp served in a delicate green pesto with a side of brocoli raab. The quality and presentation of the food was superb, and the flavors welcome and unexpected. Though we had thought of going to the gelateria afterwards for dessert, we were both too full, and instead decided to check out the Caffe Lavazza, which serves coffee, tea, beer, and aperitifs. I had a cold and generous espresso served with Amaretto, and Lucy enjoyed a hot chocolate that was like liquid happiness. All in all, it was a meal worth waiting for.

There are a variety of restaurants and food counters at Eataly, each serving a specialty for--what I would call--fair prices:

Manzo: The most formal dining experience at Eataly, serving a dizzying array of meats, and both modern and traditional Piedmontese beef dishes.
Birreria: A rooftop restaurant and brewery, serving beers brewed on premises with a fantastic view of the New York skyline. Make sure you get there early to avoid a waitist!
La Piazza: A vibrant and bustling (also, standing) eatery serving wine, charcuterie, and cheeses, from Salumi & Formaggi like Prosciutto di Parma or San Daniele from Salumeria Rosi and prosciutto cotto from Parmacotto.
Il Pesce: A fish restaurant with a wide choice of whole fish, shrimp, soups, oysters, and daily specialties from chef, Dave Pasternack. Sit at the bar to get a close-up view of the kitchen and to watch your food being cooked.
Le Verdure: A restaurant for those who appreciate a simple harvest, with plates of colorful seasonal vegetables.
La Pizza & Pasta: The Italian classic, refined.
Lavazza Caffe: A stunning coffee bar serving a wide selection of high-quality and inexpensive (compared to most coffee in New York) coffee concoctions, served with or without alcohol.

In addition to these above restaurants, you can take a look at the take-home and to-go options at Caffe Vergnano, the Pasticceria and Gelateria, Venchi Cioccolato, La Pizza & La Pasta to go, the Rosticceria, and the Paninoteca.

Photo courtesy of Mario Batali's website.