Chocolate Almond Truffles

So I’m definitely really into the chocolate and almond combo this year (as if you couldn’t tell already) and keep trying to find new ways to combine them. I always thought of truffles as such a decadent luxurious treat, and couldn’t believe how simple they were to make when I read this Food Network Magazine article on them last year. The article made truffles seem so feasible and simple I had to give it a try. I used a slightly different method to melt the chocolate than they suggested, but the truffles came out so great you’d think they were from a fancy chocolatier! Also, it’s such an easy recipe to switch up with different flavors, Food Network gives some great suggestions. I decided I had to share this with all of you and encourage you to try your own truffles! They make very impressive holiday gifts – if you can keep from eating them all yourself!

Chocolate Almond Truffles adapted from Food Network Magazine
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon butter
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup chopped almonds

1. Add the heavy cream, salt and butter to a saucepan on low heat.

2. Begin to slowly add your chocolate, about 2 ounces at a time, stirring constantly. This part takes a bit of patience but the end result is totally worth it!

3. When all the chocolate has melted stir in your almond extract.

4. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish and refrigerate for a few hours until firm.

5. Once the mixture is firm, scoop out small spoonfuls (I found an ice-cream scoop worked really well for this) and roll into balls. If the mixture gets too soft while you’re doing this you might need to pop it in the fridge again for 20-30 minutes and then finish.

6. Roll each ball in the chopped almonds, enjoy!

Plum Ice Cream

I’m not usually a fan of having a bunch of kitchen gadgets around, but even when we lived in a tiny studio apartment the ice cream maker attachment to my stand mixer proved to be a kitchen necessity.  My husband always talked about this creamy lemon ice cream he used to eat in Turkey and how he could never find anything like it in America.  After we got an ice cream maker lemon was the first variety we tried and we were actually able to come up with an acceptable version of the one he remembered.  After experimenting with more flavors and getting used to the extra creaminess that homemade ice cream has, it’s very very difficult to go back to store bought ice cream.  If you like ice cream, I highly suggest trying to make your own, it’s definitely worth it.  This week we got some great little plums in our farm basket and I couldn’t wait to try making ice cream with them.

Plum Ice Cream
1 pint plums
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup 1% or 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

1. Wash the plums, cut them in half and take out the pit. Then cut each half into small slices.

2. Add the plums, water and 1/2 cup sugar to a bowl on low heat and let them cook down until the plums get mushy and the liquid gets syrupy (usually about 20-30 minutes).

3. Let the plum mixture cool.

4. Add the cream, milk, vanilla and the rest of the sugar to a bowl and whisk slightly to combine.

5. Add the cooled plum mixture to the milk mixture and stir to combine.

6. Add the entire mixture to an ice cream maker and follow the ice cream maker’s instructions.

I’ve found that the ice cream is very soft when it comes out of the ice cream maker but it’ll harden up after about 12 hours in the freezer. Enjoy!