Chocolate Caramel Truffles

Ingredients

Truffles:

1 1/2 C. heavy cream
1/4 C. water
1 C. sugar
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Finishing:

1/2 C. unsweetened, Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 t. edible gold dust or luster dust (optional)

Procedure

Put cream in small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat; keep warm while you make caramel.

Place water in medium saucepan over medium heat; add sugar. Stir constantly with wooden spoon or swirl pan frequently until sugar has dissolved and liquid is clear. Turn heat to high and boil rapidly, swirling pan occasionally (do not stir at this point) so the sugar cooks evenly, until it turns a deep golden brown. Remove pan from heat and immediately add warm cream - be careful, the mixture will rise and sputter, so you may want to wear an oven mitt on the hand holding the pan. Stir with wooden spoon to blend. If caramel has solidified, set pan back over low heat and stir until it melts again.

Place chopped chocolate in medium bowl and pour caramel over it. Let sit for 1 minute, then gently whisk mixture until it is blended and smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cold and solidified, about 2 to 3 hours.

To shape truffles, use a regular teaspoon to gently scrape out irregular "nuggets" from bowl. Shape gently into a ball and put truffles on parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate truffles 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm.

To coat truffles, sift cocoa into medium bowl. Whisk in gold dust, if desired, until evenly blended. Drop several truffles into bowl and quickly toss them in cocoa. Set each truffle into a small candy cup (or layer them in a storage container on sheets of parchment paper). Refrigerate, covered, until needed (they also freeze perfectly).

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. These truffles are soft enough to be eaten straight from the freezer, but are at their most sensuous, in both flavor and texture, after about 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.

The chocolate caramel truffles are best preserved in the refrigerator and taste the best when they are served chilled. They are yummy and would be loved by everyone in your bridal shower party. It is not necessary to do any extra decoration or icing for the truffles as they are mouthwatering to look at as they are. You can also experiment with these chocolate truffles by trying out different recipes or just by adding some extra ingredients to the existing recipe.

Salted caramel chocolate truffles can also be made in your bridal shower party to be appreciated for your creativity. It would also be appreciated by non-caramel eaters who do not like caramel much. They are easy to make and you would need just a teaspoon and freezer to make them. The only thing to be cautious is while coating these truffles in molten chocolate. The setting of the outer layer is important as when you bite into the truffle, the chocolate melts and you get to taste the soft caramel inside. This is the specialty of this item and no one can resist these yummy truffles. You are sure to get lots of compliments for your extra-ordinary recipe that would make your bridal shower party most memorable for you.

The best thing about making your own recipe is to hear 'How did you do it'. This is one thing that will make you feel proud of yourself, so do not hesitate to try new recipes or new ingredients in your recipe. The secret of keeping the caramel soft enough to stay inside the chocolate layer eludes many. It is simple, the secret is the freezer. The right amount of caramel and how dark the chocolate should be are two essential things to be kept in my mind. It is also important to balance the taste of salt with the sweetness of the caramel. You may want to keep the quantity of the salt less but make sure to balance it with the sweetness. You have to keep tasting in between to know the exact taste and avoid getting it over-salted.