Whiskey Truffles

I think some celebrations should be extended. Like my birthday. One day is not enough. I need a week, at least. 

And St. Patrick's Day should be St. Patrick's month. Though if you're really Irish, you keep the spirit of the day in your heart all year. Or at least, you find ways to keep whiskey in your belly every day. 

Another thing I like to get in every day? Chocolate. Therefore, whiskey truffles help me to get my daily serving of both of these vital nutrients. I've added them to the "eat every day" list. I don't know how my doctor or my boyfriend will feel about this, but personally I think it's one of the greatest ideas I've ever had. 

Truffles usually are full of things that make my tummy say: "What the hell are you doing to me??" Cream. Lots of cream. And butter, sometimes. But not these truffles. They're vegan, you see. And full of whiskey, which makes my tongue and my tummy say, "Bless ye, ye lovely lass!" These statements are all FACTS. 

If you've been following along at home, you'll know that the CARBOMB cupcakes have a whiskey ganache filling. And these truffles are simply a whiskey ganache, rolled and covered in stuff. Therefore, if you were upset that I didn't post the recipe for those cupcakes, you now have the know-how to make a vital element. Though I'm not going to tell you for certain if this is the same ganache I used in the CARBOMBs. 'Cuz I'm slippery like that. 

Also, a word of caution: make sure your bowls are heat proof if you're going to try a poor-man's version of a double-boiler to melt your chocolate. Don't make my mistake and spend way-too-long chopping up yummy expensive chocolate and mix it with yummy expensive whiskey only to have one of your favorite bowls crack and the bottom fall out entirely and all of that beautiful yummy expensive ganache fall into the water and glass shards underneath. There was cursing that could've made a sailor blush. There were also some tears. (It was mostly for the whiskey). Don't be like me. Check your bowls. In related news, if anyone's thinking of buying me anything anytime soon, I could use a new small-ish glass bowl...

Whiskey Truffles

adapted from SK

4oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (I also sometimes use vegan chocolate chips when I'm feeling lazy. Chopping chocolate is the worst!)

1/3 cup soy creamer (non-dairy creamer will work fine too, though I'm not so sure that it's vegan if that's a concern for you)

1 tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter stick

2 tsp whiskey (OK, OK, I didn't measure. I poured a capful, stirred it in, then kept adding till it tasted right for me. Which is most likely too much whiskey for you. 2 tsp is a safe bet)

Cocoa powder, crushed almonds, pistachios, etc for rolling

In a small sauce pan, heat the creamer over med-low heat and bring to a boil. Place chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Once creamer reaches a boil, pour over the chocolate and let sit for about a minute. Add butter and stir until smooth. If not all of the chocolate melts, microwave on high for 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. Pour in whiskey and stir. Cover, and refrigerate until firm. Once ganache is firm, set up stations with nuts and powders to roll in. Also have a pan or plate with waxed paper. Roll ganache into a small ball, roll in desired topping, and place on waxed paper. If ganache starts to stick, place back in fridge.* Place finished truffles back in fridge to set, and store in an air-tight container in fridge. 

*I'm sure there's some easier/better method that Alton Brown's come up with for rolling truffles, but I haven't seen that episode, and this works for me. If you know a better method, please share!

Also, I'm not sure how many truffles this makes, as I was busy sneaking tastes of chocolate, but it probably would have made at least 20 if I wasn't eating as I went along...