Accidental Spicy Chocolate Truffles

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

"There are four basic food groups-milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, and chocolate truffles." --anonymous

It was one of those days. Yes, my swim was great as I joined a local in doing laps...She's moving back to the Midwest. Lake Tahoe is going through changes, people are going more than coming to the mountains. Simon, my oldest Brittany's ear needed a vet's touch (again); the stitches were removed from his thigh (a skin tag). An antibiotic ointment for his ear and he's on the road to recovery. Seth, his three year old dog pal got his nails trimmed, teeth cleaned. The boys are sleeping (it was a big canine day) and now I'm watching Misery (an author's cautionary tale of being held hostage by a No. 1 Fan). Makes sense the way my day has been going. While I've been on a roll with recipes turning out, tonight is a must-have chocolate night--but all did not go as expected...

I remember last year this time I began to receive chocolates on my doorstep from chocolatiers. It was for the research of my book The Healing Powers of Chocolate. The first time I took a bite out of a 70% extra dark chocolate Aztec truffle with cinnamon and cayenne I entered another, more sophisticated chocolate world--with no point of return.

So tonight, I whipped up a super adapted super simple fudge recipe created by a friend of mine. Translation: I didn't follow instructions to a T. I noticed the recipe ingredients weren't foreign on the Net so it seemed to be okay. (I was reluctant though because it called for less than more ingredients.) This time around, it was a different kind of fudge, unlike the Italian Hazelnut Fudge I made recently and loved. No tasty hazelnuts, butter or sugar. Gut instincts said "No" but I took the plunge and added my own version with a mix of quality white and dark chocolate. Surprisingly, it was darker in color than the last batch. And it's chilling in the fridge.

Spicy Chocolate Fudge (Take One)

1 -1/4 cups white chocolate chips,

all-natural premium

1 cup semi-sweet baking chocolate,

60-70% cacao

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Extra virgin olive oil

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and chocolate. Melt ingredients over low heat. Remove, stir in flavoring and nuts. Pour into a square pan, lightly greased with extra virgin olive oil. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until firm. Flip fudge onto a cutting board or cut into small squares in the pan. Place into a container, cover with a top and store in room temperature or in the fridge.

Hold the phone. Uh oh. The consistency is not like the Italian Hazelnut Fudge--which was easy to cut into neat picturesque squares. This fudge is glossy and softer...Take Two. I thought "Why not roll the chocolatey squares into balls, dust with powdered sugar?" And that's what I did. No, I'm sure they're not going to be as memorable as the to-die-for gourmet truffles I've eaten (and I've savored a lot of 'em from the West Coast to East Coast, Midwest, and Southeast!) but they do look edible, pretty, and are now in the fridge. I read that if you let these chill for a few days the flavors (such as cinnamon and nutmeg) will be more distinct. And I'm hoping this tip rings true.

The motto: Go with the flow and make chocolate truffles out of fudge.