Caramel Apples w/ Chocolate

Makes 8 apples
1 piece of Styrofoam
1 apples
8 ice cream sticks
12 packages (14 oz each) creamy caramels
2 tbs. water
3/4 cup pistachios, chopped
8 foil cupcake liners
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
Place Styrofoam on a flat surface.

Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
Remove stems from apples.
Insert wooden stick into stem of each apple.
Place caramels in saucepan.
Add the water, heat stirring until caramels are melted.
Working quickly with one apple at a time, and keeping caramel over low heat, dip the apple into the caramel, turning to coat the apple, remove the apple from the caramel and gently shake.
Pat pistachios onto top of apple, place on prepared sheet.
Refrigerate until caramel is cool.
Heat chocolate in top of double boiler, until melted.
Drizzle chocolate over apples.
Press apples sticks into Styrofoam.
Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens.
Remove from Styrofoam to foil cupcake liners

Cognac Truffles

Ingredients:
3 1 oz square of unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 c confectioners' sugar
1/3 c butter
3 egg yolks (I use the whites to make macaroons or meringue cookies)
1 tsp vanilla or 2 TBSP of cognac

Instructions:
Melt chocolate. Combine sugar and butter in bowl. Cream together. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time. Stir in melted chocolate and flavoring. Chill mixture. Break off pieces and form into balls. Roll in coating.
Air-dry 1 hour. Store in air-tight container in very cool place. Makes
about fifty truffles.

Suggested coatings: ground almonds or other nuts, cocoa, more melted chocolate, confectioners' sugar, coconut, chocolate or colored
jimmies.

Note that this uses raw egg yolks. I find a melon baller to be very
handy in forming the truffles.

Chocolate Anise Truffles

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Anise liquor
1/2 cup butter
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
2 cups pulverized anisette cookies

Instructions:
In a double boiler melt the chocolate, constantly stirring with a wooden
spoon. When the chocolate has melted, add the butter and slowly stir it into the chocolate as it melts. Continue to stir for another minute
until it is well mixed and smooth. Add in the Rum and stir until well
mixed, then sprinkle in the pulverized anisette cookies (a little at a
time, as sometimes it takes less) until the mixture is slightly thickened but still smooth. You want the mixture to remain as a thick sauce at this point.

When you have thoroughly mixed in the anisettes, rest the top of your
double boiler in a bucket of ice and WHISK the truffle mixture slowly
until it has cooled (about 15 minutes). Do not stop whicking or the
butter and rum will separate out of the chocolate-anisette. When the
sauce is completely cooled it should have a soft but solid consistency
which you can then spoon out and form into truffles and coat with
chocolate powder or confectioners sugar.

Easy Truffles

(Servings: 64)

Ingredients:
8 oz Semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 c Milk
1/3 c Unsalted butter
2 ea Egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/4 t Vanilla extract
1 x Unsweetened cocoa

Instructions:
In saucepan, melt chocolate with milk and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir 1/4 cup hot mixture into egg yolks, the whisk yolks into chocolate mixture in saucepan. Add vanilla; beat well. Pour into small bowl; cover and refrigerate until firm. (You can store in refrigerator for up to 2 days at this point.)

Form teaspoonfuls into balls; roll in cocoa and shake off excess.
Makes 1 pound (about 2 dozen). About 75 calories each.

For gift-giving: use a glass jar with lid or candy dish covered with
plastic wrap. Store covered in refrigerator for 3 weeks and in freezer for up to 2 months.

White Chocolate Apricot-Hazelnut Truffles

(makes 28 truffles)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 C hazelnuts (aka filberts)
1/4 C finely chopped dried apricots
24 ounces imported white chocolate
6 Tbl heavy cream

Instructions:
On a baking sheet, spread out 1 1/4 C hazelnuts. Bake at 350 F for 10
minutes, or until nuts are light brown and the dark skins are cracked.
Remove as much of the skins as possible by rubbing nuts in a terry-cloth towel. Finely chop nuts in a food processor.

In a 1-quart glass container, combine 12 ounces imported white chocolate, cut up and 6 Tbl heavy cream.

[Note: I used the Nestle white chocolate chips that are available in
my local supermarket. It worked well, but I am sure it would be better
if you use a good import instead.]

Microwave mixture on MEDIUM (70% power), 3 to 4 minutes, stirring twice, until chocolate is melted and smooth. [You can do this step in a
double-boiler if you don't have a microwave.]

Stir into melted chocolate 3/4 C of the chopped nuts and 1/4 C finely
chopped dried apricots.

Cover the mixture and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or until mixture is firm
enough to hold its shape. (If mixture gets too hard, let stand at room
temperature for 30 minutes or so, until firm but soft enough to shape.)
Form 28 smooth 1 1/4-inch diameter balls, either by using a 1 1/4-inch automatic-release ice cream scoop, or by rolling 1 Tbl of the mixture between your (clean!) hands.
Place on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm, 1
hour or longer.