Earl Grey and Chai Tea Truffles
Now’s as good a time as any to tell you how simple it is to make a batch of truffles. At 4 sleeps until the Big Day, the last place you want to be is in a mall. If you have anyone left on your list, they will more than likely be thrilled with a batch of homemade chocolate truffles.
Here’s all you need to remember: 1 part cream to 3 parts chocolate – dark or semi-sweet is best.
Heat the cream, take it off the heat, add the chocolate and let it sit a few minutes. In less than five you can stir it until smooth, then pop it in the fridge. Once chilled, roll it into balls and roll the balls in cocoa, crushed candy canes, chopped nuts – you name it.
But the most fun part is the flavouring. As you heat the cream you can steep loose tea (a teaspoon or so of Earl Grey or spiced chai is nice), or ginger, or orange zest, or pepper… anything chunky can be scooped out or strained before you add the chocolate. Of course there’s always the option of adding extract (vanilla, peppermint) or swapping some of the cream for Bailey’s. Truffles are about as easy as it gets, which is a very good thing when you’ve spent the day painting Vanilla Custard over Ointment Pink (for real – that’s the name of the paint colour), the kitchen looks like someone picked it up and shook it, the kids need a hands-on project and Santa is coming very, very soon.
Simple Chocolate Truffles

In a smallish saucepan, bring your cream to a simmer and then turn off the heat. If you’re using extract, add it now, then dump in the chocolate and let it sit for several minutes. Give it a stir until it’s smooth and chill until firm. Roll into balls and roll the balls in cocoa to coat. Store in the fridge, but serve at room temperature (chocolate should never be served cold).
Ingredients
Directions
In a smallish saucepan, bring your cream to a simmer and then turn off the heat. If you’re using extract, add it now, then dump in the chocolate and let it sit for several minutes. Give it a stir until it’s smooth and chill until firm. Roll into balls and roll the balls in cocoa to coat. Store in the fridge, but serve at room temperature (chocolate should never be served cold).
One Year Ago: Edamame Walnut Dip and Laurie Colwin’s Happy Winter Fudge Cake
Hmm… ointment pink, hey? We moved into a very large house a few years ago (no longer our home), in which all (ALL) the trim, even the fireplace mantel, was what my sister aptly called “Pepto Bismol Pink”. That was to highlight the bubblegum pink walls. There was not a room in it’s 4000 square feet that didn’t have pink predominantly. Lots and lots of painting…
Think of the transformation! Exciting!
Have a wonderful holiday season filled with kitchen successes, peace and joy.I love the addition of the Chai flavouring here.
Holy Hannah. That’s all it takes to make truffles? Jeez, and you pay so much for them to buy..
Well, that is tonight’s project with the girls! Last night we made your classic sugar cookies with lemon rind and red sprinkles from OSC. So good!
I was just going to fill out my baking platter with some bought chocolates, but I think the homemade truffles may be the way to go.
Thanks for the recipe!
xoxo
Ointment pink is truly horrifying! It’ll be so, so worth it when you’re all done. The kitchen cabinets in our house were painted a kind of chocolate milk brown (the bases) with salmon pink doors, and our bedroom looked like a barbershop quartet had exploded in it. Paint can do magical, magical things!
I’m so glad you posted about truffles. I’m making them today. Peppermint!
Reminds me of Calamine Lotion. I heart truffles!
I also spent several days painting over entirely pink bedrooms when I bought my first house – even the ceilings were pink. Vanilla Custard is such a nice name for a colour – what crazed marketer thought “ointment pink” would be a seller…?
OK, I keep reading it as Oink-ment pink. Perhaps because now that I know that making truffles doesn’t require a PhD I may become oink-like…:)
AAAAAacccckkk! Truffle making is banned in our house. No one can make it past the rolling stage…I know, I admit it, we’re gluttons…
lol I made some last minute truffles just last night. Not near as creative as yours however, I’ll have to try chai next time.
Have a wonderful Christmas! (looking forward to hearing about your dinner wen you have the time) 🙂
Tomorrow is my day for making Christmas gift truffles; I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks. Chili, curry, and Baileys–though not together–will make for some happy people this weekend.
mmmm, fantastic. This looks great.
Thanks Julie.
Merry Christmas !!!
Thats it? I love the sound of these! Might have to persuade someone to grab some cream to make them =D.
such perfect truffles! love the earl grey infusion.
would this be heavy cream or whipping cream or….?
they look delicious….unfortunately my christmas baking list is getting too long…so I’m not sure when these will be appearing in my kitchen
another question. Is the “parts” referring to volume or weight? 3 cups chocolate and 1 cup cream?
[…] I am there and soak up every ounce of that race. I LOVED Boston as a city when I was there in June, I am so glad I got in to the race this year and I am so so so excited to go back East […]
very informative and creative. good job and thanks for sharing such a good blog .This sharing concept is a good way to enhance the knowledge.