Nothing compares to this time of year in terms of overindulgence. I have holiday parties or socials what seems like every night the next two weeks, and you can be sure it’s more than salad on the menus. Lots of cheese, lots of wine, and plenty of chocolate. Maybe even a little tequila depending on the holiday party! So when I was sent a little gift package featuring a bottle of Casa Noble tequila and Frontier Spice ground cinnamon, I knew these boozy truffles would be perfect for any of these aforementioned parties. Of course tequila and cinnamon is not the most common flavor combination for the holidays, but I have a feeling most of your friends/family/coworkers aren’t going to complain that you’ve spiked their chocolate truffles with something other than peppermint or eggnog!
One of the best things about chocolate truffles is that they offer such a fancy and sophisticated presentation (especially in their own individualized wrappers!), but they really couldn’t be easier to make. The base of most truffles includes chocolate (the best quality you can get your hands on) mixed with with heated heavy cream. Of course in this case I also added a bit of tequila and cinnamon to spice things up a bit, and in the past have also added cabernet, blueberries, coconut rum, and hazelnuts for other fun flavor combinations. The chocolate and cream create a ganache that is then chilled to a firmer consistency that can then be shaped into little balls. I chose to dip mine in more melted chocolate, but you could also just roll the truffles in cocoa powder, crushed nuts, or sprinkles if you want to be really festive. In my case, an extra drizzle of melted chocolate and a dusting of cinnamon made these truffles party platter-worthy.
Although the combination of cinnamon, tequila, and chocolate can seem a little bizarre, if you like Mexican chocolate goodies (like my Mexican chocolate chili cookies mmmmm) you’re going to love these. The cinnamon offers just a hint of spice that warms up the chocolate taste, and the tequila is only slightly noticeable, with just a little zing of an after taste. I personally love tequila so would have even added more to the recipe, but I know it’s not everyone’s favorite liqueur, so I opted not to be heavy-handed with my pouring. Either way, everyone’s on board for a little overindulging during the holiday season, and a little extra chocolate and tequila never hurt anyone too severely :)
Thanks to Casa Noble Tequila and Frontier Spices for the goodies – I love getting inspiration from my mailbox, especially when it comes in the form of cinnamon and tequila (two of my favorites!). I know how much you all love your boozy treats as well, and these boozy truffles make a great addition to my list of alcoholic treats perfect for the holidays! Fireball Jello Shots anyone??
Spiced Tequila Dark Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
7 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp tequila
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 oz melting chocolate
Directions:
Chop the semisweet chocolate and place in a bowl. Place cream in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it just reaches a boil. Immediately pour hot cream over bowl with chocolate and whisk until smooth.
Add tequila, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix until smooth. Cover mixture and transfer to refrigerator for about an hour, then use a small ice cream scoop to portion out 2 tbsp-sized mounds and form into balls with your hands, then place on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet.
Melt the melting chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second intervals, mixing well in between each interval, until completely smooth. Dunk each truffle into the melted chocolate, tapping off any extra chocolate, and place the truffle back on the wax paper to allow the chocolate to set. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the prepared truffles and dust with a fine layer of ground cinnamon if desired. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days until ready to serve.
If you like Mexican chocolate you really need to try Olive & Sinclair’s Mexican Chili chocolate
Ooh, my parents are going to LOVE these. Thanks for the great idea!
Since many of us post on Pinterest, you might want to change what shows up when they pin your recipe. One, so it shows the name of the recipe and 2. so it shows the name of your web site! :)
How well do these hold up at room temp? I’d love to send some of these to family for the holidays but want to make sure they can stand the trip :).
Erica — December 5th, 2015 @ 8:39 am
They should hold up well! I think truffles make a great gift for shipping through the mail. If you want to be extra careful, wrap them individually in candy foil wrappers – they sell those in most craft stores. Enjoy!
OK, so what is “melting chocolate”? Are we talking just more semisweet chocolate that gets melted? Or something special? Or milk chocolate? Help! :D <3
Erica — December 10th, 2015 @ 9:46 am
It’s just a type of chocolate that doesn’t need to be tempered yet will still set nice and shiny. Examples are Baker’s Chocolate, chocolate candy melts, almond bark, etc. I find those work best for dipping!