Ending the year on a sweet note

I read a quote the other day by the author Judith Viorst, that said: "Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands-and then eat just one of the pieces". The truffles and orangettes I'm about to present to you require no manual labor to dive into as they are already individually portioned. However, they require a great deal of restraint to not eat the whole batch. I'm a firm believer in always ending things on a sweet note: a bad day, an amazing meal, a difficult task, a rainy afternoon, a long run, and of course the last hours of the year.

 

Chocolate Truffles (Adapted from Jacques Torres)

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Makes 40-50 truffles

Ingredients:

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into smaller pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup Kahlua
Dutch-processed cocoa powder (about 1 cup)
Chopped pistachios, skins removed (about 1.5 cups, you can substitute hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds)

Directions:

Set up a bain-marie (water bath): Please a saucepan filled with an inch of water over low heat. Place the chocolate and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl over it (a glass bowl or a smaller saucepan). The base should not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate is barely melted, over very low heat. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Divide the chocolate mixture in two bowls. Add Grand Marnier in one, and Kahlua to the other. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and place in the refrigerator until its firm (best if left overnight).

Remove the chocolate mixture from the refrigerator. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Lay out the cocoa powder and pistachios on separate plates. Using a mellon baller (or an ice cream scoop, or two small spoons), form them into small balls, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. It helps to have wet hands, I usually keep a small bowl filled with water on the counter. Immediately, roll them in the cocoa powder or the pistachios. I rolled the Grand Marnier flavored truffles in pistachios, and the Kahlua flavored truffles in cocoa powder. Roll them once again after they are coated, I find it easier to shape this way. Refrigerate until 5 minutes before you are ready to serve.

Orangettes (Candied Orange Peel Dipped in Chocolate): (Adapted from here)

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Makes about 25 orangettes

Ingredients:

2 oranges

1 cup water 

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Slice the ends off the oranges. Score the peel and remove the peels. Slice the peels into thin strips.

Bring two pots of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Place the peels in the first pot for 5 minutes. Remove them front the pot, and rinse them under cold water. Immediately place them in the second pot, and repeat the process. 

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, and stir until the sugar is melted.  and place the peels in the saucepan. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, watching them to make sure they don't burn. Remove them, place them on a wire rack, and let cool for about 1 hour. 

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place in a small saucepan filled with about 1 inch of simmering water. Stir until just melted, and remove from heat. You can either drop them in the chocolate mixture and fish them out with a fork, or you can dip them 3/4 of the way in by hand. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and let cool at room temperature. Once set, cover them with plastic wrap until they are ready to serve.