Mocha Mint Truffles

The New Year is upon us and lots of people are probably thinking about New Year's resolutions. I'm thinking about it. Last year I resolved to take more pictures because I hate taking pictures (of myself, mostly); but after I make a great memory, I always wish I had a photo or two to remember it by. Some people's resolutions will last a week. Some of them will last until February...when the gym filled with the same old sweaty people starts to become less and less appealing than say...something like these truffles.

I am not telling you to break your New Year's resolution before you even make it. That would be horrible of me! I'm just saying...consider how great a fantastical flavor-meld of mint, chocolate and coffee is going to taste BEFORE you make your resolution and make room for one of these things on occasion. After all, God didn't invent the Mint Condition Mocha at Caribou for no good reason and these have all that taste wrapped into one pretty little bundle! Perhaps a good resolution would be to make a few extra friends...who can go with you to the gym...and them eat some of these truffles for you so you at least don't have to eat ALL of them.

Here's the recipe. PLEASE: Put these in the little paper cups when you are done. It just amps up the awesomeness factor. People like stuff in little individual wrappers.

Mocha Mint Truffles
Makes 5-6 dozen
Ingredients:

• 2 packages (12 ounces each) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 2 teaspoons warm water
• 1 pound chocolate candy coating (almond bark)
• 1 tbsp shortening
• White candy coating (almond bark), optional
• Green food coloring, optional

Directions:

Melt chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl; stir until smooth. Beat in cream cheese (this works best if you've let the cream cheese sit out for a bit so that it's not so chilly). Dissolve coffee in water. Add coffee and mint extract cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.

Let the mixture chill out in the fridge until firm enough to shape. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a lined-baking sheet. Chill 1-2 hours or until firm.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate coating; add shortening and stir until smooth (this keeps your truffles from getting that frosty white look). Dip formed balls in chocolate coating (allowing excess to drip off). Place on lined baking sheet and let stand until set. Melt white chocolate coating. Add 1/4 teaspoon mint extract and 1 drop green food coloring (just 1 drop will give you that pretty minty green); stir until smooth. Transfer to piping bag (I just used a Ziploc with the corner snipped off) and pipe a minty green swirl on each truffle. Allow to set and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I made mine a few weeks ahead of the holidays and they were just as pretty and tasty as the day I made them. Enjoy!

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Well hello there!

The time has come. I've had quite a few people ask me recently why I don't have a blog so I've decided to avoid that question and start one so that I can keep track of all my inspirations, projects and recipes and have some sort of motivation to document my work and ideas. Before I dig myself in too deep, I want to clarify that "pretty" to me doesn't mean lacy or frilly or expensive...like a $400 handbag to put your miniature dog in. Pretty to me is simple. Elegant. Classy. "Pretty" can be repurposed, recycled or rediscovered. "Pretty" can be free. So can "nifty". (see below)

Here's the inspirational stumble-upon (no, not the website) "pretty nifty" situation I encountered today:

I found myself at a coffee shop while I was having some work done on our vehicle at a nearby auto shop. I was busily working through my crossword book in a comfy chair tucked back in the corner when an elderly man sat down at a small table with a box of Christmas cards and few books of stamps. His hair was neatly combed and he was sharply dressed, bundled up in a peacoat and one of those classy newsboy hats. He shakily began to attach a stamp to the corner of each envelope. I smiled to myself and was half-tempted to walk over and offer to buy him a cup of coffee when his wife came around the corner with a cup in each hand. They sat at the table sipping coffee and happily addressing and stamping the envelopes together and it warmed my heart. Straight up. I hope this is what I'm doing 50 or 60 years from now. I wish I had a quality photo of these two to share with you but I think you get the gist of it. 

I spend plenty of time browsing through magazines, books and the web looking for recipes and for neat ways to awesome-ize what I have, but what I love most is finding those simple things in everyday life that inspire me. 

Basically, I love craftiness and sharing ideas. When people ask me about something I've created or are willing to share something they've created with me, I get TOTALLY jazzed. Sharing ideas, in my humble opinion, is what art is all about. As an artist and designer, I feel some sort of weird obligation to make the world a niftier place....with wonderful things like good food and craftiness. I plan to use this blog as a vehicle for fulfilling that obligation. After all, what good is a neat thing if nobody ever gets to see it or taste it? And how large would I be if I didn't share the stuff I cook or bake? Let's just say it wouldn't be a good situation. Ok? Ok. Let's meet here often. Ok? Ok. 

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