Cocoa Truffles

If you're a chocolate lover you'll really love these.  Actually, I should say if you're a cocoa lover you'll really love these.  I think most people, unless they are a chocolate aficionado, wouldn't really taste a big difference.  How many of you substitute cocoa in a chocolate frosting recipe?  I do, all the time.  And most of us are just as happy to melt a bag of ordinary chocolate chips to spread over a cookie as hunt down a fine couverature chocolate.  Anyway, these little truffles will do nicely to fill in the gaps on a Christmas cookie tray.   

I've had this recipe for Cocoa Truffles in my box for many years.  It was one of those supermarket tear-off recipes that was next to the cocoa display.  I've made "truffles" from melted chocolate chips and condensed milk but never from cocoa but today was the day for cocoa and I must say they turned out very well.  I suppose you could always call them "diet" truffles as they contain no cocoa butter or cream. (Don't mention the full cup of plain old dairy butter!) 

I wouldn't go as far to call them French truffles but they certainly make a rich enough little bite or two of creamy goodness. I'm sure someone will let me know if they're not up to truffle standard.

Cocoa Truffles
1 cup butter
2 cups cocoa
2 cups icing sugar
1 can  or 1 ¼ cups sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons flavouring such as vanilla, etc...
Additional cocoa, icing sugar or finely chopped toasted nuts

Sift cocoa and icing sugar together. Set aside.  Melt butter in large saucepan.  Remove from heat and add the cocoa and icing sugar.  Mix until blended. This will be very thick, like playdough. (Hmmmm, chocolate playdough...)  Add the condensed milk and flavouring.  Stir until well blended.

Refrigerate mixture until cold.  Roll 1-inch balls in a mixture of half icing sugar and half cocoa or in finely chopped nuts.  Store the truffles in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use. 

Makes about 4-5 dozen truffles.

 Melt the butter.  Make sure you don't burn it.  That would certainly lend a new flavour!

Icing sugar and cocoa are notorious for lumps.  Make sure you sift them together.

Here's that chocolate playdough.  
The sugar, cocoa, butter mixture will be very thick before adding the condensed milk.

I rolled half the truffles in a cocoa/icing sugar mixture and half in toasted chopped hazelnuts.

 Side by side, the finished truffles are now awaiting their fate. 

Some will be frozen for Christmas, but some will never make the freezer.

A bite or two will take care of one of these babies.