- It's my birthday week, and that means it's time
for something with chocolate and peppermint.
If you've been following my website for any amount of time,
you know that I always do something with chocolate
and peppermint on my birthday.
It's a tradition.
So today I'm whipping up peppermint truffles
that could not be easier to make
and only have four ingredients.
They're rich, and creamy, and decadent,
and melt in your mouth.
And bonus, they're also dairy-free,
vegan, and paleo-friendly.
I also wanted to remind you guys that my birthday giveaway
for a brand-new Vitamix blender is still open
for a few more days, and if you miss some of the details,
make sure to go back and check last week's video.
Lastly, I do my best to upload videos weekly-ish,
but I'm not always the best at uploading
on the same day or time.
So I wanted to remind you turn on notifications
on my channel.
It takes just two seconds, and that way you won't miss
any future videos.
All right, let's get to making these truffles.
We'll start by filling a pot with one-to-two inches of water
to create a double boiler on the stove.
So turn the heat to medium, and bring the water to a simmer.
While we're waiting for the water to simmer,
let's chat about the ingredients,
and the first is chocolate chips.
Pascha is my favorite brand of chocolate chips
as they're gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free.
I also recommend using chocolate in the range
of 50 to 60% cacao for this recipe, and not too dark;
otherwise, the truffles will be more bitter.
When it comes to the coconut milk, do use canned,
full-fat coconut milk, and not refrigerated coconut milk
in a carton.
The full fat is what helps to make these truffles
so creamy and delicious.
And lastly, grab yourself a high-quality peppermint extract.
After trying several brands, I definitely prefer
Nielsen-Massey for a crisp and fresh peppermint flavor.
Give your can of coconut milk a shake to make sure
it's well mixed, then add six tablespoons of coconut milk
to a mixing bowl.
And since we're creating a double boiler,
you'll wanna make sure that your mixing bowl sits properly
on top of your pot before adding the coconut milk to it.
Once your water is simmering, sit your bowl
on top of the pot, and let the coconut milk warm up
for a minute or two.
Measure out one-and-a-half cups of chocolate chips,
which is about nine ounces, though the 8.8 ounces
in a standard bag of Pascha chocolate chips works just fine.
Add the chocolate chips to the warm coconut milk,
and give it a stir.
The heat from the milk should start to melt the chocolate
pretty quickly, but keep stirring until it's fully melted
and silky smooth.
(upbeat music)
Once the chocolate and coconut milk are fully combined,
remove the bowl from the heat.
Add one-and-a-half teaspoons of peppermint extract,
then give it a stir.
You could always add more or less peppermint flavor
to suit your personal preference,
though I love a strong peppermint flavor
that's reminiscent of a peppermint patty.
At this point, the chocolate should look like
a thick chocolate glaze, which is perfect.
Transfer it to the fridge for about two hours
so it has time to chill and firm up.
When the chocolate is ready, remove it from the fridge,
and set it to the side.
Add a quarter cup of cacao powder to a plate,
which is what we'll roll the truffles in.
You could also keep the truffles plain,
or roll them in chopped nuts, powdered sugar, or sprinkles.
The next step is very hands-on, and it will get a bit messy.
So if you have any rings,
you'll definitely wanna remove those now.
To scoop the truffles, you'll need a small cookie scoop
that holds about two teaspoons of chocolate,
and I'll link this small one below.
The chocolate should be firm but soft, so fill the scoop,
scrape off any excess, then roll it between your hands.
The chocolate will start to melt quickly
from the heat of your hands, so you want to move
through this step fairly fast.
(upbeat music)
Once you've got a nice round ball, roll it around
in the cacao powder, and then set it on a plate.
Repeat this process until all of the balls are formed,
and you should end up with about 16 to 18 balls
when you're done.
(upbeat music)
At the end of this process, your hands will be quite coated
in melted chocolate and cacao powder, but that's okay
because you've now got the most decadent, rich,
and indulgent peppermint truffles to bite into and enjoy.
These truffles will hold up at room temperature,
which makes them perfect for a party,
though I personally prefer them slightly chilled
from the fridge.
I hope you guys enjoyed this easy dessert recipe,
and I'm gonna enjoy the rest of these for my birthday.
(gentle music)