Every year I make truffles. I think it’s one of simplest desserts to make for a party and they’re always the first to go! I usually make them with melted dark chocolate and I like to mix in a bit of instant espresso powder to give them a hint of coffee. Coffee and chocolate is such a good combo, isn’t it?

This year I figured I’d switch things up a bit and use white chocolate. Well, my first go-around was a complete failure. The white chocolate was an oily mess. I found out what the problem is: I used cheap white chocolate.

Sort of unfortunate because I was trying to use up some old white chocolate chips I had in the back of my pantry. The next time I tried this recipe, I splurged a bit and used really good quality white chocolate and it was worth it! Surprisingly good white chocolate is still less expensive than good dark chocolate. Be sure to use the best white chocolate that’s available to you!

I like to top these with a bit of matcha powder mixed with powdered sugar (just matcha might be too bitter), some sprinkles and sanding sugar. But really the toppings are limitless. I think crushed up candy canes would be cute, or cookie crumbs, or even coconut flakes or cocoa powder.

My favorite thing about this recipe is they’re great to make with kids and family, too. Make the chocolate and create an assembly line!

White Chocolate Truffles

These White Chocolate Truffles are one of the simplest desserts to make for a party. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of the Fresh Tastes blog)

Ingredients

• For the Truffles:
• 7 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• For the toppings:
• 2 teaspoons matcha powder + 2 teaspoons powdered sugar, sifted together
• 2 teaspoons of sprinkles, color of choice
• 1 tablespoon sanding sugar, color of choice

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper and set aside. Create a double boiler by nesting a glass or stainless steel bowl into a medium saucepan filled with a few inches of water. Place over medium heat. Add the white chocolate and heavy cream to the bowl and cook until melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir chocolate every so often until very smooth. Turn off heat and carefully remove the hot bowl. Stir in vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to set for 2 hours.
2. When the chocolate has hardened, remove from the fridge. You can use a melon baller or a teeny ice cream scoop to do this next step. Scoop out small balls of the chocolate and roll it with the palm of your hands to reach a mostly round ball (if they’re imperfect, that’s ok!). Transfer them to the lined baking sheet.
3. Immediately garnish the truffles with the matcha powder/powdered sugar mixture, sprinkles or sanding sugar. The topping options are endless. You could also do crushed candy canes, cookie crumbs, sweetened cocoa powder or coconut flakes. Lastly, transfer them to the fridge to set once more, about 30 minutes. Since there are no chocolate stabilizers I’d recommend leaving them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Yield: 12 to 16 truffle balls

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.