Dark Chocolate Grand Marnier Truffles

I'm already planning for the holidays and have been practicing some truffle recipes to give away at Christmas. I've always loved those chocolate oranges that you can smash apart and eat, but making your own candy is so much more personal and sweet, so I decided to go with my own orange Grand Marnier truffle!

I started out with Ghiradelli bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips and even though they're already kind of small, I chopped them into even tinier pieces. This makes it easier for the chocolate to melt more smoothly.

I added some orange zest to the heavy cream while cooking to infuse it with even more orange flavor.

And finally, the most important part, the booze! I guess you can leave out the Grand Marnier if you want, since the orange zest already adds flavor, but it just gives such a nice kick to the truffle!

I placed them in little glass jars that I found at Hobby Lobby for about $1.30 each, tied the tops with some ribbon, and I have cute favors/gifts to give! They're easy to make and simply by changing the ribbon, you can have a sweet gift to give year round!

Dark Chocolate Grand Marnier Truffles

Makes about 40

Ingredients

12 oz bittersweet chocolate

6 oz semisweet chocolate

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon orange zest

3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Finely chop up chocolate and place in heat proof bowl along with the butter. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream and orange zest to a boil over medium heat. Pour through a fine mesh strainer over the chocolate and let the mixture sit for about a minute. Whisk the chocolate until smooth and completely melted then add in the Grand Marnier. Pour the mixture into a 8x8 inch baking dish and allow to come to room temperature, then place in the fridge for about an hour until the ganache has firmed up. Use a melon baller to scoop the ganache and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place onto parchment paper and let the truffles sit until they are firm enough to handle then roll in cocoa powder to coat.