Eggnog Truffles

Truffles are one of those things that always seemed too fancy to make at home.  There was no way a simple at-home cook like myself could pull off something like that.  But recently I have been seeing truffle recipes all over the place.  It seemed like it was time for me try it.  I thought if everyone else could do it, maybe I could too!  I still had some leftover eggnog that was dangerously close to expiring, and 'tis the season, so I gave it a shot.

I had high hopes for these, and I was not disappointed.  These are perfectly spiced, rich, and make a wonderful Christmas treat.  Truffles are one of those things that aren't hard to make, but are a bit of a time commitment.  Keep in mind that most of the time is cooling, and these would make a great project for kids.  Kids would love to help roll and dip the truffles, which is probably the most time consuming hands-on portion of preparing these.

If you want to prepare these for a last minute Christmas treat, start by combining sugar, butter, and eggnog in a pot. 

Bring to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Add in rum flavoring and nutmeg...

...then marshmallow cream and white chocolate, and stir until it's all melted and combined.  I could just eat this with a spoon and be perfectly happy!

Pour this mixture into a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let it cool for 1-2 hours to let set.  I did 2 hours.

When it's all set, cut it into bite-sized pieces.  Try not to eat any.  Just try.  Roll up the pieces into balls and freeze for an hour.

Final step!  Dip the balls into melted candy coating.  The coating dries quickly, so if you want to add nutmeg as a garnish, do it right away!  

See, that's not so hard!  Now go on and make yourself some truffles.  And feel fancy.

Eggnog Truffles

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup eggnog

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp rum flavoring

1 tsp nutmeg, plus additional for garnishing

1 cup marshmallow cream

3 cups white chocolate morsels

2 16-oz packages vanilla candy coating

Directions:

In a large pot, bring sugar, eggnog, and butter to a rolling boil.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in rum flavoring and 1 tsp nutmeg.

Stir in marshmallow cream and white chocolate until completely melted and incorporated.  Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

When set, remove by lifting parchment out of pan and lay on cutting board.  Cut into bite-sized pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball and return to cookie sheet.  When all truffles have been rolled, put in the freezer for one hour.

Melt vanilla candy coating according to package directions and put in deep glass or bowl.  Using a toothpick, dip each truffle into melted chocolate, tapping off any excess.  Set onto parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg.  Repeat for remaining truffles.  Allow to set about half an hour in refrigerator.  Serve cold.

From Shugary Sweet