I love seeing boxes of chocolates, conversation hearts, cards, gifts, and roses at the stores around Valentine's Day. I know that stuff is pretty cheesy, but it puts me in the mood for the big day.
I love Valentine's Day! I've loved it my whole life. My family used to exchange little gifts every year. Jewelry, music, and chocolates, of course. Russell Stover's Chocolates, that is. The crème de la crème of chocolates. ;) They're really good! My favorite chocolate in the heart-shaped box has always been the coconut one. What's your favorite?
Buttercream?
Nut clusters?
Nougat?
Toffee?
Caramel?
Milk Chocolate Messenger Boy?
The other day, a friend at work asked me what she should give her boyfriend for Valentine's Day. I think the best gifts are homemade, and she likes to bake, so I told her the best gift she could give him would be some kind of cake, chocolate covered strawberries, or TRUFFLES!
Truffles are easy and fun to make, and everyone loves them. They're really the perfect gift to give your loved ones.
I heat butter and cream in a saucepan, then turn the heat off and stir in the chocolate. When the chocolate is cooled, you roll it into balls to make truffles! For these truffles I rolled the chocolate around a toasted almond, and then rolled the chocolate into toasted coconut.
They're so good! I love Almond Joys. Do you? I think Almond Joy lovers might be rare.
Almond Joy Truffles (By Me)
Printable Recipe
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
8 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
20 almonds, toasted
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, heat cream and butter until hot. Turn heat off, and stir in chocolate until melted. Chill chocolate in the freezer or refrigerator until firm. Roll chocolate into 20 balls and place almonds in the centers of them. Roll truffles into coconut.
Makes 20 truffles
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44 comments:
You're right - the best gifts ARE homemade. These would be welcome just about anywhere!
Yum! I love love love truffles. My favorite vday treat would have to be the chocolates my aunt would send us from this tiny chocolate shop in the East of France...that and waking up to cute stuffed animals placed by my parents in front of my room early in the morning. Oh, nostalgia :)
Seriously, I would faint if I was presented with a box full of these babies. Man, they look droolworthy!!!!
I think you're right, almond joy lovers might be rare.. my mom is one. Not me! I can't stand coconut! ick.
My mom would always get the almond joys from our trick-or-treat bags.
Chocolate and coconut...you can't beat that!
this is gorgeous!
Those look so delicious! Have you seen the Almond Joy pieces that are at Target? These truffles look like the perfect Valentine's day treat!
My favorite Russell Stover's? I do love the coconut, too!
Mmm! Almond and coconut are great, but I always liked the ones that were filled with dark chocolate ganache. My least favorite ones were anything "cherry" filled, aka some artificial pink goo. Gross!
These truffles? Tres manifique!
These look great! This recipe has inspired me to take a spin on my classic coconut bon bon recipe. Hope you don't mind;) I love your pictures too. That first shot is really beautiful. BTW my favorite chocolate is hands down the crunchy little toffee bites. Least favorite...the chocolate covered creamy cherry filling...yuck!
I LOVE the name of these. Beautiful! Somebody is going to be really lucky to get these.
I can never get enough coconut. I don't know why I crave it all the time. So needless to say I love almond joy truffles.
Look at those pictures! Omgz! You are so talented.
It sounds like I'm going to have to change my Valentine's plans...
I've always loved almond joys, and mounds! My favorite candies when we got the box of chocolates was the coconut filled one. These sound really good!
Fabulous! My hubby LOVES almond joys.
Oh, I haven't had a box of those in ages. My mom used to get me a box every V-day. My favorites are the toffee and butter creams.
Your truffles look amazing! I think I would like them more than I do the Almond Joy because you used dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.
I LOVE Almond Joys! And your truffles have me drooling!
My favorite candy bar is Almond Joy and so is my husband's...these are perfect. I will have to try them!
Thank you all for your lovely comments!
Ericcakes, you are too kind! I think the light diffuser has really helped my pictures. The only problem is, when I use that, I can't use the gold. Any ideas?
And no you don't! We're not doing gifts, remember?
I love Almond Joys too. I think I'd rather eat these truffles though - less mass produced and more from the heart.
I have a soft spot for V-day. It's cheezy, but Kevin and I get so into the winter doldrums that we love having an excuse to do something special and focus on each other. It helps lift our mood till spring.
I've always liked Valentine's Day too! What gorgeous unique truffles - yum!
i always root around for the coconut chocolates, even if it means taking a nibble and putting one back in the box...
lovely treats, emily!
Hmm. I'll have to think about a solution to your problem. I bet we can come up with something.
I didn't realize you liked Valentine's day so much. Now I feel compelled to fight the crazies at Walgreens to get you a life-sized stuffed bear and a 10 lb bag of conversation hearts.
We shall call them heaven balls! Yum!
does the chocolate get too hard if you cool them in the fridge? or are they still easy to roll?
Almond Joy lover here, but I'm still drooling over the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cinnamon rolls. ;)
These look great to make for myself for Valentines Day. I have a boyfriend and all that, but why not spoil myself too? He gets me the fun boxed chocolates!
We must have been on the same brain wave, both craving chocolate and coconut!! mmmm
These truffles look awesome, Emily!!
Now,...I am drooling,...
perfect valentines gift if you ask me!!!
These totally beats a box of chocolates for VDay!!!!
yum! I have had coconut on the brain for the past week now!
I'll take a homemade gift any day, those are the best, I agree. I love the photo of the truffles, they look so natural! :) Almond joy always brings back memories of my childhood.
My favorite truffle? I like the chocolatey ones too, chocolate ganache filled--yummmmm!
Eric, yes! A 10 lb. bag of coversation hearts! Jk jk.
Love you!
Anon, you do have to monitor the chocolate to make sure it doesn't harden all of the way. Check on it every 5-10 minutes or so.
I posted a coconut treat today too:) Love this one!
I made a ton of truffles last year. We were sick for weeks from so much chocolate! My favorite were probably the avocado chocolate truffles. AMAZING!!
My favourite is always caramel Emily or maple. When we go into the States we always hunt down Almond Joy because it is just not available here in Canada!!
We have that plate! How funny! I love your truffles - they look delicious! Happy valentine's day!
Very yummy truffles with their coconut trim! They are a marvelous Valentine's Day gift. Homemade is always the most appreciated gift you can give.
(My fave chocolate is caramel anything!)
Oh, yeah. I am a big Almond Joy fan. These look fabulous!
These may take center stage in my V-day plans!!!!
My mom would love these. Growing up I remember her eating Almond Joy bars.
Happy Valentine's Day!
~ingrid
Oh, yum. That's all I can say!
Chocolate, coconut and almond!!! Yumm!
I love truffles.. Yours look delicious!
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