Happy Holidays everyone!

by L.C. Dean

As I debated what to share with you all, I tried to think of a way to be clever or funny or at least interesting—I settled for real. Let’s face it folks, the holidays, no matter which one you celebrate, are often about food and family, perhaps a bit too much of each at times. Food and family are for me inseparable. I grew up helping my grandmother make Pepper Nuts (AKA Pfeffernusse). They are super tiny, impossibly hard, and richly spiced. Grandma used to give me a half cup of coffee (no more as it would stunt my growth) and I would soak the cookies until they were soft. Trust me, they may sound odd but they are fabulous!

Since two of the main characters in Ginger Snaps for Two do not have family to speak of, I decided to focus on food—the really decadent stuff that most American women only indulge in on special occasions, unless of course they’re menopausal or pre-menstrual. I played with recipes and tweaked the ingredients until I found one that was both luscious and well-suited to my characters. Nothing to it. I promise. Be sure to let me know how they turn out.

Decadent Chocolate Truffles

Filling:

8oz. semi-sweet chocolate

4 oz German Sweet chocolate

1/3 c heavy cream

Optional: add 1 to 2 T of Kahlua, Rum, Amaretto, or Orange Liqueur—a few drops of your favorite candy flavoring can be used instead but these are great plain too. Depends on how dark you like your chocolate.

Coating:

6 oz quality chocolate melted –semi-sweet [or half semi-sweet & half German sweet]

Optional – chopped nuts or coconut

Directions: Always start with quality chocolate – no skimping. Chop chocolate. Heat cream until it is near boiling in a large microwavable bowl. Add chocolate and let sit for a few minutes until the chocolate is melted. Whisk smooth. Add flavoring if desired. Refrigerate until set – overnight is great but 2 to 3 hours will usually do. If the filling is still too soft freeze until workable. Scoop 1T portions of mixture onto a parchment lined pan and place in the refrigerator 15 to 20 more minutes. 

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in microwave in 20 second intervals stirring after each – this is important as you are basically tempering the chocolate and do not want to scorch it. If you want your treats to be prefect, roll them gently in your hands before dipping in melted chocolate, but remember they are called truffles because they resemble the fungi. Place in candy or mini-muffin papers. Optional: Sprinkle with chopped pecans, hazel nuts, coconut, or whatever makes you say, “Wow, that is delicious!”

Give Away: I am a big believer in cancer research, as is Decadent Publishing, and I love supporting those who want to help. My giveaway today, in addition to an eBook copy of Ginger Snaps for Two, is a beautiful ribbon necklace made by a South Dakota artist. All the proceeds from her work go to the American Cancer Society for research. It has nothing to do with my book, but it is a reflection of the amazing spirit of the holidays in that it represents unselfish giving at its finest. So how do you win it? Leave a comment about your favorite holiday treat from when you were a child or now and why you love it. That’s all. How easy is that? Everyone who follows the directions will have their name thrown in a hat and I will have an objective party draw on January 2nd. BTW, due to the lightweight nature of the gift, anyone from any country may win. Just don’t expect it January 4th if you live in Australia. That’s a long way from Minnesota, my friends.