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Mexican Hot Chocolate Truffles

The warming heat of New Mexican chilies, along with cinnamon, almond, and vanilla–the flavors of Mexican chocolate–make these truffles the ultimate indulgence.

CoursesDessert

Servings	Prep Time
24truffles (with 1 tablespoon/0.5oz scoop)	30minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 – 8minutes	2hours

Servings	Prep Time
24truffles (with 1 tablespoon/0.5oz scoop)	30minutes

Cook Time	Passive Time
5 – 8minutes	2hours

Ingredients

10.5ounces dark chocolatevery finely chopped–best quality, 70% cacao minimum (see note)
9tablespoons heavy cream(1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
1tablespoon light corn syrup
2-1/2tablespoons buttersoftened at room temperature and cut into smaller cubes
2 – 3 dried New Mexican chiliesstems and seeds (mostly) removed
1/2t-spoon ground cinnamon
Heaping 1/16t-spoon almond extract(a few drops)
Heaping 1/4t-spoon vanilla extract
Smallpinch kosher salt

For rolling the truffles in:

2tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powdersifted
1-1/2tablespoons powdered sugarsifted
1t-spoon ground dried New Mexican chilies

Instructions

Pour the cream into a medium-sized saucepan. Crumble in the dried chilies and place over medium-low heat, letting it come to a scald—about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the cinnamon, and stir to combine, pressing on the bits of chilies a little to encourage them to release as much flavor into the cream as possible. Let this sit off heat for 30 minutes.
After the steeping time is up, heat the cream again until it just begins to show signs of boiling. Stir in the corn syrup.
While you’re waiting on the cream to reheat, add the chocolate to a heat-safe mixing bowl (glass or aluminum preferred). Once the cream is reheat pour it through a fine-mesh sieve right over the chocolate. Let the cream and chocolate sit for just a minute before you start to gently fold it together with a rubber spatula.
When the chocolate is about halfway melted into the cream, add in the butter, extracts, and salt and continue to fold until everything is evenly melted and smooth.
Cover and leave at room temperature for 2 hours, until it’s firmed up enough to scoop and roll (if it’s very warm in your house you may need to put it in the fridge to get it to set—just check on it periodically so it doesn’t get too hard).
Roll the truffles into little balls: you can use two regular t-spoons to form them, but I’m too neurotic for them not to come out exactly the same size so I use a melon baller or small spring-loaded ice cream scoop (sized at about 1 tablespoon/0.5 ounce–this gets me 24 truffles). Transfer them to a parchment lined baking sheet as you do so.
Roll them by hand into perfect truffle proportions and then toss them about, gently, in a bowl that you’ve mixed the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and ground dried chilies in.
These will keep for about a week refrigerated, but are best served at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

I use 7oz of approx. 70% and 3.5oz of approx. 60%.
Any leftover cocoa powder mix can, or should, be saved for an extra special hot cocoa or single serving of pudding or sauce for ice cream or… you get the idea.

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