That’s a WrapThe candies in this chapter are even more impressive when they’re cleverly packaged and presented. Discount and import stores are a terrific source for unusual and decorative containers, including tins, boxes, and baskets. For candies that can be stacked (bark and brittle, for example), a box or container with 5-inch-high sides is fine. But for the more delicate candies (such as truffles, or anything inside a paper cup), keep them in a single layer in a box no more than 2 inches deep.
Create a tiered tower of decorative holiday tins in graduated sizes. Wrap the whole tower in colored cellophane and tie it with a French silk ribbon. Decorate the ribbon with anything you like: a Christmas ornament, a sprig of pine or eucalyptus, silk flowers. This is a great way to deliver several different types of candies—truffles, toffees, caramels—each in its own tin. Holiday tins are often sold in nesting sets at stores.
Package the candies using an item of kitchen equipment that itself makes a great gift. Use a fluted tart pan, baking dish, or decorative platter, for example. Stroll through a house-wares store and let your imagination go. If possible, link the type of candy to the gift in some way—presenting the Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark (page 621) on a large baking sheet, or enclosing the Asian-influenced New-Wave Rocky Road (page 622) with crystallized ginger inside a Chinese bamboo steamer.
Think beyond traditional candy boxes—way beyond. Use ceramic containers, papier-mâché or fabric-covered boxes, wicker baskets, star-shaped metal mesh containers (often available in silver or gold at import stores during the holidays), Shaker birch boxes. Line them with waxed paper, or put the candies inside a clear cellophane bag inside the container.
Recipe Tip: TrufflesChocolate truffles are a decadent treat—rich mixtures of melted chocolate and cream and/or butter, plus other ingredients that may include fruit, nuts, spices, or liqueurs. The chocolate mixture is chilled and rolled into balls, then usually coated with cocoa powder or melted chocolate. Present them in paper candy cups, available at baking or candymaking supply stores (or see Online and Mail-Order Sources on page 632).
Cognac gives a heady flavor to these easy-to-make truffles. When rolling the truffles in your hands to shape, be sure to work quickly so that the ganache doesn’t melt. Makes 36
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
1 tablespoon Cognac or other brandy
⅔ cup chopped dried Calimyrna figs
⅔ cup chopped toasted walnutsNatural unsweetened cocoa powder
Line 8×8×2-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang. Heat cream, butter, and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until just boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat. Add chocolate and stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Mix in Cognac, then figs and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan; refrigerate just until firm enough to handle, about 1 hour.
Using foil as aid, lift chocolate block from pan; place on work surface. Flatten foil at edges.
Cut chocolate mixture into 36 squares. Roll each square by hand to form ball. Dust lightly with cocoa. Cover and chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 days ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Lime flavors the bittersweet chocolate three ways: It’s infused into the cream that melts the chocolate, it’s stirred into the melted honey that sweetens the ganache, and it’s combined with the cocoa powder that coats the truffles. Make the cocoa-lime truffle coating a day ahead; it needs to dry overnight. Makes about 55
1½ teaspoons finely grated lime peel, divided
⅔ cup sugar
1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
15 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup honey
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
Place 1 teaspoon lime peel on work surface. Chop very finely; transfer to medium bowl. Add sugar and rub together with fingertips until mixture is slightly moist. Mix in cocoa. Spread on rimmed baking sheet. Let dry uncovered at room temperature 1 day.
Place chocolate in medium bowl. Finely chop remaining ½ teaspoon lime peel; transfer to medium saucepan. Add cream to pan and bring just to boil over medium heat. Cover and set aside 10 minutes. Uncover cream mixture, return to boil, and pour over chocolate. Let stand 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is smooth.
Meanwhile, combine lime juice and honey in small saucepan. Stir over low heat until honey melts and mixture is warm. Gradually stir warm honey mixture into chocolate mixture. Add butter 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring until ganache is smooth. Cover; chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Drop cold ganache by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheets. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Working quickly, roll ganache between palms into balls and return to baking sheets, briefly freezing ganache on sheets if becoming too soft to shape. Chill truffles until firm, about 45 minutes.
Roll truffles in cocoa mixture to coat; shake off excess.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container.
These truffles are flavored with Grand Marnier and covered in a crunchy almond coating—not the usual cocoa powder or melted chocolate. If you don’t have orange liqueur, try a berry variety like Chambord or crème de cassis. Makes 25
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), finely chopped
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1½ teaspoons finely grated orange peel
1¼ cups almonds, toasted, finely chopped
Line 8×8×2-inch metal baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang. Bring cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in Grand Marnier and orange peel. Pour into prepared pan; freeze just until firm, about 30 minutes.
Using foil as aid, lift chocolate block from pan; place on work surface. Fold down foil sides. Cut chocolate mixture into 25 squares. Place nuts in small bowl. Press 1 chocolate square into nuts, coating completely. Roll truffle between palms into ball. Place on small baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chocolate and nuts. Cover; refrigerate until very firm, about 2 hours. Serve cold.
Truffle TechniquesYou might not guess it by looking at them, but truffles are among the easiest candies to make once you learn the right techniques. When rolling the chocolate base, it’s important to handle it as little as possible (so it doesn’t start to melt). We recommend scooping out the well-chilled ganache with a mini ice-cream scoop with a release. If you don’t have the right-size scoop, form spheres of chocolate with a teaspoon-size measuring spoon, then use your hands to smooth out the spheres (work quickly so that the chocolate doesn’t melt). There are two primary techniques for coating truffles in chocolate:For a hand-coated chocolate with a thin coating, start by scooping a little bit of melted chocolate into your palm. Next, roll a chilled truffle in your palm until it’s evenly coated, then drop it onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet or roll it in a bowl of chopped nuts. It’s a bit messy (your kids will love it), but it’s also easy and effective.For a dipped chocolate with a thicker chocolate shell, submerge a truffle in melted chocolate. Using a fork, remove the dipped truffle and tap the fork on the side of the pan to allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the pan [1]. Next, run a small knife under the base of the truffle, gently pushing it onto a foil-lined sheet [2].