A little something – Homemade truffles and a DIY gift box

Now it’s the time when you can count the days till the christmas holidays are finally here. And before I retreat solely to the analog world for a few days, enjoying time with my family and long not seen friends, here’s a last christmas gift idea, that you still can easily whip up in case of urgent gift shortage.

I made this nice collection of truffles for some of my colleagues. But your neighbours, your postman, your aunts and uncles will surely like this little something as well – I am sure … cause I liked them, too … (I mean, someone has to eat the leftovers 😉 ).

It’s a mixture of flavours and textures: gooey Brazilian brigadeiros with a hint of coffee, creamy chocolate truffles with tart and fruity notes of raspberry and hibiscus, sweet orange scented white chocolates … who couldn’t like this selection? All three recipes are quite simple and open for all kinds of variations. Feel free to experiment!

To wrap my homemade sweets, I made those little treat boxes.

I designed the size to match 8 of the chocolates and used strong kraft paper (280g/m²). If you want to make them yourself, follow the sketch on the picture: Simply draw the lines on cardboard with a pencil, cut along the solid lines and fold along the dotted ones. Bring into box shape, optionally round the corners, glue and fix with binder clips until the glue has fully dried.

I finally decorated the boxes with this free set of tags and wrappers Sarah designed. Black and white in combination with kraft paper = unbeatable stylish look!

So right now there’s not much more to say for me – except from wishing you all a peaceful and calm christmas time with your closest!

Brigadeiros (makes about 20-25)

ingredients
1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 + 1 teaspoon grounded coffee

preparation
In a sauce pan heat up the condensed milk, butter, 2 tablespoons cocoa and 1 tablespoon grounded coffee. On medium heat cook while stirring  for about 10 minutes until it thickens. Pour onto a greased plate and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Roll the cooled mass into balls. Roll them in remaining cooca and coffee.

Hibiscus raspberry chocolate truffles (makes about 20-25)
[inspired by this recipe]

ingredients
100 g dark chocolate, 100 g milk chocolate, 100 g heavy cream, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 + 2 teaspoons raspberry powder, 1+1 teaspoon hibiscus powder (dried and grounded hibiscus leaves), 2 tablespoons icing sugar

preparation
Break chocolate into small pieces. Add chocolate and cream to a sauce pan and melt over low heat while stirring. Add butter and 2 teaspoons raspberry powder and 1 teaspoon hibiscus powder. Put into the fridge and let cool for at least two hours. Roll little truffles with your hands. Finally roll them in a raspberry-hibiscus-sugar mixture.

White chocolates with orange (makes about 15)

ingredients
300 g white chocolate, zest of 1 orange, juice of ½ orange

preparation
Melt chocolate, orange juice and zest in a sauce pan over low heat. Pour into little gugl/petit fours (silicon) moulds and let fully cool out. Note, that white chocolate reacts different to dark one – it f.ex. thickens more quickly. So try to work quickly, maybe heat up a little in between.