Chocolate Truffles

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Valentine's day is approaching and I had mentioned I was in the mood to make chocolates. I was pushed over the edge with recent visits to a few chocolate shops and wanted to try my hand at making truffles again as it's been a few years since I've made them. They are pretty easy to make and only take a few ingredients. You start with chocolate and mix in hot heavy cream to make it creamy and more pliable to make the round truffles. The key is to melt down the chocolate appropriately so it's completely melted. Then, you pour it into the container (I had a purpose for the heart shaped pie plate my dad got me as a gift) and scoop it out to harden a bit more in the refrigerator. Then, you can roll them in cocoa and make the round truffles. They may not look perfect, but they taste perfect and are so smooth and rich. Pure indulgence! I packaged them in small boxes for a few special people. Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate No-bake Cookies

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I grew up with cookies we commonly called "no-bakes" that are fudgy chocolate cookies with oats. Some people made them with just cocoa and some would also include peanut butter for a richer flavor. You don't bake them in the oven, but simply melt all the ingredients together in a stove top pot and drop them on parchment to dry and solidify. However, the appropriate moistness and texture of the cookies requires the right temperature and timing when you're making them. I've found a recipe that I love and they turn out great each time. It uses chunky peanut butter so they also have a little crunch to them. It's a simple cookie, but has such a great texture and flavor. I thought everybody knew about these, but have come across a few people that were unfamiliar. Did you grow up with your mom making "no-bakes"?