Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

At first, my walk was pretty quiet and tame. I could hear a bunch of birds chirping, but couldn’t see them. But as I continued walking, I noticed a bunch of different ducks out on the lakes today. There were two kinds of Mergansers, both the Common Merganser and the Hooded Meganser.

Today I just saw the male Common Mergansers. The other day I only say the femals.

I saw both the male and the female Hooded Mergansers though.

There were some Ringnecks, both male and female.

There was a Common Goldeneye.

And of course, plenty of Canadians and mallards too.

It was definitely a good, ducky kind of day. 🙂

Couscous is a grain-based product that is made from semolina, and while many people often confuse it with grain itself, it’s actually a type of pasta. Made into a dough that’s tossed together until little balls are formed, couscous is a staple food in households worldwide and especially popular in African, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian cuisine. A versatile ingredient, couscous can be mixed with nearly anything to create a tasty dish. Fruits, vegetables and meats can be used to create an excellent side or flavorful main dish that will satisfy all types of taste buds. Though it is similar in texture to rice, couscous cooks much quicker, making it the ideal option for nights when you want to create a quick and delicious meal.

Couscous is a very popular dish served all throughout the Arabic countries and the Mediterranean countries. Couscous is their version of rice and is eaten all the time. It’s been around since at least the 13th century, if not even earlier than that. Some people say it dates back to the 11th century.

Most couscous is made from durum wheat; the same grain used to make semolina flour. Durum wheat is most commonly cultivated in a region known as the Maghreb region, which contains countries like Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Egypt and much of the Middle East. The invention of couscous is widely credited to the Berbers, an ethnic group indigenous to Northwest Africa. However, instead of “couscous,” it’s commonly referred to as sekrou or seksu. In the eastern Mediterranean, another unique name for this pasta-like dish is used, called maftūl or maghribiyya. 

Since couscous is popular in several different cultures, there are many kinds. However, the three most common types of couscous include Moroccan, Lebanese and Israeli, with Moroccan being the most common and often purchased. Moroccan couscous is made up of much smaller granules than other types. Its small size means that it cooks quickly and can be prepared in just minutes. Israeli couscous granules are much larger than Moroccan ones, and the tiny orbs of pasta produced have garnered it the nickname “pearl couscous.” This type of couscous features a nuttier flavor and chewy texture and takes about 10 minutes to cook thoroughly. Lastly, Lebanese couscous, the least common of the three, is the largest, and its size earns it a longer cooking time.

I don’t know if I have ever eaten the Lebanese version of couscous, but I eat both the Moroccan and the Israeli versions all the time. My latest couscous dish used the smaller, Moroccan version. I turned it into a delicious Moroccan styled salad that I served with my Spanish pork chops. Still In A Spanish Mode

Of course I changed it some, and “Jeannified it”, but then, that’s just what I do. 🙂

Spinach- Pistachio Couscous Salad

1 cup couscous

1/2 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

3/4 cup boiling water

6 TBSP olive oil

2-3 TBSP lemon olive oil

2-3 cups fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine

1 cup fresh parsley, choppd fine

1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped

1/2 cup Peruvian peppers, optional

2-3 green onions, sliced thin

2 TBSP chopped chilies or roasted Hatch chilies

Combine the cumin, salt, pepper and about 1 TBSP of the olive oil and/or the lemon olive oil and bring to a full, rapid boil. Then add the couscous and mix thoroughly. Cover and let steep for at least about 10 minutes.

Gently mix together all the chopped herbs, spinach, peppers and pistachios. Add the cooked couscous, the remaining olive oil and lemon olive oil with more fresh ground black pepper and gently toss together.

Serve along side your main part of the meal, or add chicken and enjoy as a main salad on its own, that is healthy, light and very tasty.

Couscous is very versatile, like both pasta and rice. It goes well with whatever you want to serve it with. I love couscous, and could easily eat it all the time too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Yesterday, February 7, was my actual birthday. I flat out refused to cook for my birthday, so Larry and I went out. We went to a fabulous seafood place real close to our house. We had seen it many times, but had never been, until last night. It’s Called Bic Mac and Little Lu’s.

I will let the owners of the restaurant tell you a bit about them and how they named the restaurant Bic Mac and Little Lu’s, in their own words.

It was a fun restaurant with a very distinct beach front feel, even though it is landlocked here in Westminster. The walls were decorated with replicas of all kinds of fish and sharks, and dive and fishing gear. We felt right at home.

You can order things to go, or you can dine in, or just pick up fresh fish from their fish market.

As I said earlier, I flat out refused to cook my own birthday dinner, so we ate in. The food was DELICIOUS! Very fresh, full of flavor and cooked to perfection. We ordered clam chowder, calamari, the almond crusted hogfish and a side order of scallops to split between us. Even though we split everything, it was still a lot of food.

The clam chowder and calamari came first. Both were excellent. I also ordered a house specialty drink called a blackberry diablo. That was very tasty and refreshing too.

Then our entree came. The hogfish was so light and tender, with just enough of a crust and sauce to really enhance the flavor of the fish. And the scallops were like butter. They just melted in our mouths.

We found out that I was not the only one celerating my birthday that night. There was a very friendly gentleman who was befriending all the other diners, and through him, we found out there were two other ladies who shared a birthday with me and were in celebrating as well. We all expressed birthday wishes to one another and celebrated together. Bic Mac and Little Lu’s gives the birthday diner a free dessert for their special day, so I chose the creme brulee cake, that we shared as well.

The dinner was a very pleasant and delicious surprise. We had no idea that there was a fresh seafood restaurant that is so tasty, literally just down the street from us. It has become my new favorite local seafood place. We will most definitely be back again and again. Good, fresh seafood is not easy to find here in the mountain state of Colorado.

Bic Mac and Little Lu’s is located at 2851 West 120th Ave, Westminster, CO. You can call them at (303) 404-2722.

It was also our big boy, Vinnie’s birthday. So we took a picture of the birthday twins. Our handsome big boy just turned 9.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Even though it is still winter according to both the weather and to the calendar, the geese are beginning to pair up, and are walking together side by side. It won’t be too long before we have a few gaggles of goslings. 🙂

I love this one. He is squawking to her and she just can’t be bothered.

Sometimes, it’s OK to be a little goosy. Have a great day.

On Sunday evening we gathered with friends and had a fabulous dinner at Barcelona, a Spanish tapas restaurant It’s Birthday Time Once Again. In case you hadn’t noticed, I love all Spanish foods. I think I must have been a Spanish chef in another life. 🙂

I knew I was cooking pork chops for dinner, but I had no idea how I wanted to prepare them. So of course, I hit my culinary library and searched until the perfect recipe just popped out to me. And wouldn’t you know, it was a a recipe for Spanish pork chops. Surprise, surprise! So I guess I am still in a Spanish mode and a Spanish frame of mind.

These pork chops are from Southern Spain, where there are large Basque and Moorish influences, so the spices used were both Basque and Moorish. I made my dish as the whole pork chops, but you can also make them into little pork bites, or as they are known in Spain, pinchos morunos. I seared my pork chops, but if you are making them in smaller pieces or small bites, you can also skewer them and grill them too. At the moment, it is still a bit chilly to be outside grilling, though it won’t be too much longer and we can comfortably be out grilling again. You can use these same flavorings for chicken as well.

Spanish Pork Chops

1- 2 lbs of pork

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp paprika

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP honey

1 TBSP garlic

olive oil

butter

chopped fresh oregano

Combine all the dry spices together. Pat the pork dry with a paper towel. Coat the pork chops, or pieces, in the spice mixture, cover and let set at room temperature for at least 1/2 hour before cooking. As I mentioned above, I seared my pork in a very hot skillet with a combination of olive oil and butter. But you can also grill these too. Depending on the thickness of the pork, it is usually about 3 minutes per side on average, and then another 2-3 minutes per side again. Flip the meat in between though so it doesn’t burn and to ensure it cooks evenly and more thoroughly.

Combine the lemon juice, garlic, honey and chopped oregano. Pour over the cooked pork and top with another sprig or two of the oregano and serve.

Though we ate most of everything while at Barcelona, after many rounds of fabulous dishes that kept coming our way, we were pretty full, so there was still a little leftover that we brought home with us. One of the leftovers we brought home was some of the roasted parsnips. There wasn’t enough for the both of us, so I just added some pan roasted carrots to the mix and served them with the pork, along with a new, delicious couscous salad and warmed pita bread and hummus.

Any kind of wine would go well with this dish; red, or white, and preferably un delicioso vino espanol. Had I thought of it ahead of time, either my favorite Spanish Albarino or my new bottle of Tempranillo that I got as a birthday present would have been very good choices for wine pairings. Oh well, next time. 🙂

Have a great day and make every day great. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Like everyone, once a year, I have a birthday, and it is that time once again. We celebrated last night (a couple of days early) with friends at one of my favorite restaurants, Barcelona. Birthday Celebrations – Part 2 – Barcelona, Fun With Friends – Part 1 – Denver Barcelona is a fun Spanish tapas wine bar and restaurant. It is always fun to go with a group of people. The more people you have, the more delicious foods we can all sample and taste. As my friend Rhonda put it last night, “it is like being on a cruise and sampling all different kinds of things so you can try them and come back later for what you really like”. Last night we celebrated with Janet, Bob, Mike, Lauren, Wendy, Su Yeon, Jim, Rhonda and Alan. Janet, Bob, Larry and I have all been to Barcelona quite a few times, but it was a new experience for everyone else.

Because we had a large group, our fabulous waiter, Gillian, suggested we try the Chef’s Sampler Menu, so that we did. We had no idea what dishes were going to come out, but we ate and enjoyed everything the chef chose for us. He chose very well indeed. Gillian took very good care of us. I brought a bunch of my truffles to share with everyone, and gave some to Gillian and the rest of the staff as well.

Most of us did wine flights so we could try different wines too, though Jim and Su bought a delicious bottle of red for us all to share before the festivities began. Needless to say we had a lot of delicious food, a lot of very good wines, and most importantly, a lot of laughs and a lot of fun. Thank you all for a fabulously fun evening.

Rhonda has this fun tradition when she gathers with friends. She has everyone take a picture with the person they are sitting next to. I LOVE this idea!!!!!!

And even though I said no presents, I am so glad no one actually listened to me. 🙂 I got some beautiful and fun gifts from my friends whom have all become familia. My friends all know me so well.

One of oldest and dearest friends, Andrea, who lives in California, sent me this fun and fabulous bath set.

Priscilla, Andrea and I all go way, way back to our junior high days, and we have all been great friends and family ever since. Priscilla and I share a love of cooking, so she presented me with a delicious jar of Dulce de Leche. When she gave it to me, she just smiled and winked and said “you’ll know what to do with it”. 🙂 I already have plenty of great ideas.

Janet and I also share a love of cooking and entertaining. She and Bob gave me this gorgeous little serving dish that would be just perfect for serving olives. This beautiful little dish was made from minerals that were mined here in Colorado. I do serve a lot of olives when entertaining, especially when wine is around (when do I NOT have wine around though?). Wine and olives just go together perfectly. Even the card says “A balanced diet. That means a glass of wine in each hand.” I couldn’t agree more. 🙂

And speaking of wine, Rhonda and Alan gave me this bottle of a delicious Tempranillo Spanish wine, along with this gorgeous necklace. I see another wine party in my very near future. 🙂

Lauren and I also were bonded by food, though she has also noticed I love to wear beautiful scarves and shiny bling. She also knows I love my flowers too, so she and Mike gave me this beautiful peacock scarf, along with some beautiful and fun bling to go with it, and a forever bouquet of flowers on the side. Janet has already said she wants to borrow this lovely scarf for her upcoming trip to Jerusalem. 🙂

And the necklace is a dolphin. I LOVE my dolphins!!!!!!

Jim and Su also know my heart and presented me with a beautiful little devotional book and some always much needed hand cream.

And everyone knows how much I love my dogs, and animals in general. Wendy gave me this little plaque that is already proudly hanging on the “dog wall”. Wendy’s daughter Zoe is also our pet sitter, so THEY KNOW how much we love our fur babies.

But the best gift of all is the beautiful gift of love that comes from having so many great and wonderful people in my life whom I very lucky and blessed to call FRIENDS, though they are really more like family. Thank you all for yet another fun and fabulous birthday. Life is very good indeed.

Have a great day Everyone, and make every day great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Tea sandwiches are just much a part of a tea party as are the scones. Both go together very well. Originally, both the scones and the tea sandwiches were kept very basic and simple. When tea sandwiches were first introduced to the afternoon teas, they were butter bread and very thinly sliced cucumbers, and that’s it. Both the scones and the tea sandwiches have come a long way since their simple beginnings.

In a traditional tea, the crusts are cut off the bread. The crusts are removed to help eliminate the unnecessary filling when there are plenty of cakes and other goodies offered that we want to enjoy as well. I confess, this time I did not cut the crusts off my sandwiches, which was brought to my attention by a well-loved, British friend of mine who will remain unnamed, because there was going to be too much waste, but normally I do. 🙂

The tea sandwiches were typically the first course of a three course tea, served along with baked goods such as scones and sweets like tartlets or chocolate. Our tea party certainly met all the requirements to be labeled as a ‘traditional tea”. We had scones, we had tea sandwiches, we had scones, we had Devonshire clotted cream, we had a variety of different cakes and sweets, and we had chocolate. And of course we had a wide variety of different teas as well. Today, there really aren’t any rules, other than they must be small, bite-sized little sandwiches and nibblies.

I made two kinds of little tea sandwiches for our tea. I made egg salad sandwiches and open-faced cucumber sandwiches with herbed cream cheese and smoked salmon.

I had a little Valentine’s day them going on for the tea, so I cut my egg salad sandwiches into little hearts with a heart shaped cookie cutter.

Egg Salad

6 hard boiled eggs

1 cup mayonnaise

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

salt & white pepper to taste

1 TBSP chives, cut very small

1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped fine

thinly sliced bread of your choice, crusts removed

butter

I have found for boiling the eggs, this is the best, tried and true method. I NEVER vary from this. Fill a saucepan with the eggs, cover the eggs with water and about 1 TBSP of vinegar. Bring to a full rapid boil, and let boil for 12 minutes – 12 MINUTES ONLY. Then discard the water and let them soak in cold water for a few minutes before peeling.

Once the eggs are done, and peeled, chop them.

Combine all the ingredients then add to the eggs, and gently fold in together.

Butter the bread on both sides with a very light spread of butter to help prevent it from getting soggy. Them add the egg salad and cut into the shapes.

The triangles are the other parts of the sandwiches. They had to be used too. Waste not, want not you know.

The cucumber and salmon sandwiches were just as easy to make as the egg salad sandwiches. I purposely used two different kinds of bread for the different sandwiches.

Cucumber Salmon Sandwiches

I used the small pumpernickel bread slices, herbed cream cheese, smoked salmon, English cucumber sliced very thin, and fresh dill.

Again, spread the cream cheese in a very thin layer. Cut the cucumber slices very thin and add on top of the cream cheese, then add very thinly sliced salmon on top. Top each sandwich with a tiny sprig of fresh dill.

I ran out of salmon, which is ironic because at first, I thought I bought too much, so I actually had a few traditional cucumber tea sandwiches, that were not planned, but just happened.

For tea parties today, you can make them as simple or as fancy as you like. The only rules are just to keep everything small and bite-sized, and make them pretty. Serve a selection of tea sandwiches, scones, Devonshire clotted cream, tea cakes and chocolate, and you will have a perfect tea every time.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

All week you have been seeing snippets of things I was making for our tea party. Today was the day. We had no idea how many people to expect, but we had 34 ladies show up. We were hoping for at least 12. I think there were a few more than just the 12 we were hoping for. 🙂 Everyone raved about the food and what a fun day it was. This was the first of these ladies only events, and I think it will be the first of many more yet to come.

You all know I made quite a bit of the food, but other ladies brought delicious treats too. It was a huge success. I made two different kinds of truffles, white chocolate lime and chocolate lavender Making Truffles; orange scones Orange Scones; Devonshire clotted cream; strawberries and mixed berries, and two kinds of finger sandwiches, egg salad and open faced cucumber with herbed cream cheese and salmon.

Here is what our table looked like when we started serving the tea. The tables were filled with all kinds of delicious treats, with many ladies contributing to the affair.

We started off with prayer, then let everyone loose on the food. As people were enjoying all the delicacies, they were also playing some ice breaker games to get to know each other better. Some people knew each very well and others were brand new to each other. But by the end of the day, everyone had made at least one new friend, and/or got to know someone better.

After the food it was time to get up and walk around, and still learn as much as we could about our new friends, with another game. As you can see everyone was talking to everyone.

Everyone had such a good time and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We are already talking about the next one. But Wendy and I both decided we needed a bit of break first. 🙂

Make the most of everyday and make every day great. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

You can’t have a tea party without scones, right?! I means, scones are one of the key ingredients to a successful tea party. Scones have been eaten in Devon and Cornwall since the 11th century but it would take the advent of the railway network and refrigeration to popularize the cream tea – taking the hot drink with scones slathered in clotted cream and preserves. Day-trippers to the seaside in the early 20th century would take the tradition home with them and scones would soon become an afternoon tea staple.

I mentioned yesterday that we are having a tea party coming up on Saturday. Making Truffles Here are my scones I made for the day.

Traditionally tea parties tend to be in the afternoons, although today, they have evolved into more of a brunch celebration. Afternoon tea, that most quintessential of English customs is, perhaps surprisingly, a relatively new tradition. Whilst the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China and was popularized in England during the 1660s by King Charles II and his wife the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza, it was not until the mid 19th century that the concept of ‘afternoon tea’ first appeared.

Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter (some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread) and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

Traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of dainty sandwiches (including of course thinly sliced cucumber sandwiches), scones served with clotted cream and preserves.

Since it is close to Valentine’s Day, everything (at least what I am preparing) is with a Valentine’s Day theme. My scones are heart shaped. The funny thing is though, when I made my scones, I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter that was about 1/2 the size of the scones. I had no idea they were going to grow as big as they did. No worries though, they came out so light and fluffy, with just a hint of orange and nutmeg to them. I will make some Devonshire or clotted cream to go with them (today’s plan) too. I am not sure if I am going to serve them with orange marmalade on the side, or raspberry jam, or perhaps both. I’ll let you know what I decide. 🙂

I make scones quite often. There are many different recipes, from many different sources. I am not picky. All I ask is that they are light, fluffy and delicious. These scones certainly pass the muster. Note to self with these gems though, is that they really do rise. They doubled in size from what I was expecting. So next time I make these, especially if I am cutting them into hearts again, use a smaller cookie cutter. 🙂

Orange Scones

Preheat the oven to 425* F or about 220* C.

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar + more for topping the scones

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 TBSP orange zest

1/2 cup or 1 stick of cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 egg

Combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, orange zest and baking powder together and mix well. Add the cubed butter, and mash everything together until it all resembles coarse sand. Form a well in the center.

Mix the eggs and whipping cream together and pour into the well. Gently incorporate the flour mixture into the liquid. Mix just until the flour has been absorbed and a soft sough has been formed.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough into either a circle or a rectangle and pat it out with your hands until the dough is about 3/4 of in inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters in your desired shapes.

Place the scones on the parchment paper lined sheet pans then sprinkle the tops with the remaining sugar.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly golden and puffy. Serve with either orange marmalade, or other jam of your choice, or clotted cream, or both. I will be serving mine with both.

My friend Wendy and I got all the tables set up yesterday. We kept it simple and elegant.

Stay tuned, I have more tea party goodies coming your way, and of course, you will see pictures of the whole party too.

Have a great day. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

When trying to find the origins of things, often there are conflicting ideas and notions on how, or where, or who created them. For the most part, it is anyone’s guess, but it still fun to learn about all the different ideas and theories behind the tasty treats we all enjoy. The same is true for the origin of the truffles chocolates.

One theory that has a lot of popularity is truffles and ganache were created by a culinary student who was studying under the famous chef, Auguste Escoffier. Rumor has it he attempted to create pastry cream when the hot cream spilled into a bowl full of chocolate bits. The material solidified after a while, and the student discovered that he could form it into a ball.

Another legendary folk tale is that on Christmas Day, 1895, in Chambray, France, French patisserie Louis Dufour came up with the notion for chocolate truffles. When he ran out of Christmas treat ideas to sell to his clients, he decided to try something different. He created a quantity of ganache and rolled it into a round ball before dipping it in melted chocolate. The chocolate-covered ganache was then rolled in cocoa powder. Yet another theory is that the chocolate ganache was first created in Switzerland. So who really knows.

A chocolate ganache is essentially a blend of cream and solid chocolate melted together to form a smooth, velvety substance. This ganache has evolved into the inner core and heart of the chocolate truffle in the present age. The truffle itself was a beautiful entrée, very expensive, and only the royals and the very affluent of France ate it. Giving this moniker to the new chocolate dish automatically raised it to that tier. The chocolate truffle has long been associated with luxury and wealth. 

The word “truffle” comes from a Latin word that means “Lump.” Because of their striking likeness, truffles are called after mushrooms with the same name. The first chocolates were manufactured in a primitive manner to resemble the lumps; truffle lumps, initially known as Truffles Chocolate, referring to the appearance and chocolate they are made of. The key ingredient to chocolate truffles is the ganache filling. Chocolates that do not have the ganache filling are NOT true truffles.

The original chocolate truffles were just plain balls of chocolate ganache dusted with cocoa powder. They were simple yet elegant at the same time. Today, there are many possibilities and endless variations, with many different flavor infusions.

Our church is having a ladies’ tea party this Saturday, and of course, I making a lot of the goodies we will be enjoying. Surprise, surprise, I know. 🙂 I will be making a variety of traditional tea delicacies, including two different kinds of truffles. I have made both before, and liked them so much that I thought it was time to make them again. I have made both white chocolate-lime truffles and dark chocolate and lavender truffles for our tea party. Time for Truffles, White Chocolate Lemon-Thyme Truffles (well, instead of the lemon-thyme, I did lime). The techniques are the same for both the white and the dark chocolate, though I have to say, I prefer working with the dark chocolate slightly more. I found the white chocolate hardens a bit faster than the darker chocolate, meaning I had to keep re-melting it in order to dip my ganache centers. But as you can see, they all worked out nicely, and everything was dipped.

The procedures are the same, and the basic recipe, whether using dark, or milk or white chocolate are the same as well. The main differences are in the flavor infusions that are used.

To make the ganache fillings melt the heavy whipping cream and flavorings together until they just start to simmer, then added the butter, and mix it all in together. Cook over a medium-high flame, making sure to stir constantly, in a slow, gentle manner. Once everything is blended together, let it steep for 15 minutes, then strain and throw away the used flavorings.

Add 1/2 of the chocolate morsels and again, gently stir into the mixture. Cook until all the chocolate is completely melted and you have a smooth, creamy mixture.

Place parchment paper onto baking sheet then carefully pour the chocolate mixture onto parchment paper and evenly spread into a thin layer to fill the pan.

Refrigerate for an hour and let it set. You do not want it to harden. You want the chocolate to still be soft and pliable. Once it is ready, spoon up about 1/2-1 tsp of the mixture and roll in your hands to make a soft ball. Make sure you wear gloves so the heat of your hands does not melt this delicate mixture.

Once the chocolate balls are formed, refrigerate again for at least one more hour. You can also place them in the freezer too. I found this makes them easier to work with and they do not melt so quickly when dipped in the chocolate.

To finish the truffles, melt the rest of the chocolate. I used a double boiler. Make sure no water gets into the chocolate. I also found the chocolate melts better with a dash of milk added as well. Stir constantly until it is smooth and creamy and all the chocolate has melted. Dip the ganache ball into the melted chocolate and completely coat, then remove with a fork and shake off the excess chocolate and place on another sheet of parchment paper. If you want, you can add colored sprinkles. Do this immediately after removing from the melted chocolate, as it hardens fast.

Once the truffles are dipped and decorated, refrigerate them once again to harden.

When they are set, plate them up in a pretty presentation and share them with your friends and family. They will all be amazed at your artful creations.

Every day needs chocolate. Chocolate makes everyday a great day. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.