Ingredients:
8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped or chips
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Optional Flavor Add-Ins:
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons chocolate, coffee or orange liqueur

Truffle Coatings:
Shredded Coconut, plain or lightly toasted
Crushed Candy Canes
Toffee or Brittle Bits
Sweetened or Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Melted or Tempered Chocolate, White, Milk or Dark (almond bark also works well)
Candy Sprinkles
Nuts, toasted and finely chopped (macadamia, pistachio and hazel nuts are great with white chocolate)

Directions:
Place the chocolate pieces in a medium-sized heatproof bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat. Bring just to a boil – when bubbles start to form around the edge of the cream, remove from heat.

Pour hot cream over the chocolate pieces and let stand for 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and salt and any other flavor add-ins. Stir or whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use a gentle touch – mixing too vigorously will incorporate too much air into the mixture.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the chocolate has set, at least 2 hours.

When ready to roll the truffles, first lay your coatings out in small bowls. Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator and use a small ice cream scoop or melon baller to scoop out the mixture. If mixture is too hard to work with after refrigerating, let it sit at room temperature until pliable enough to work with.

Place the truffles on a sheet pan lined with wax or parchment paper. For round truffles, quickly roll each scoop between your palms and return to the baking sheet.

Roll truffles in desired coatings. If they are too soft to handle well, place them in the refrigerator until firm, about 15 minutes.

Truffles should be stored in an airtight container and may be refrigerated for at least 2 weeks, or frozen for several months, in single, flat layers. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Sarah’s Truffle Tips:

• If the chocolate doesn’t seem to be melting all the way, fill a small saucepan with an inch of water, bring to a simmer and place the bowl over the simmering water for 10 seconds; remove, stir and repeat if necessary. Stir or whisk until smooth.
• Chocolate chips melt great, but many are made with stabilizers that can alter the flavor and texture of a truffle. Look for a high-quality chip that’s made with few ingredients and uses just sunflower lecithin as a stabilizer.
• Store truffles in an airtight container in single layers, separated by parchment or wax paper. The cocoa butter found in chocolate easily absorbs other flavors so keep it away from foods with strong odors like onions and garlic.