Pumpkin Pie Truffles

I finally am getting the chance to start baking more with pumpkin this season! It's been such a busy couple of months and I have been neglecting my Libby's Pumpkin sitting in my pantry! Pumpkin is my all time favorite flavor, especially when it comes to baking!

I got this recipe off Cake, Batter and Bowl's blog, which is so awesome you definitely need to go check out some of the great recipes she has! I knew I had to make this recipe, and I decided that I would make the truffles for the hubs to take to school! I knew his kids would enjoy them...at least I hoped they would!!! :o)

My attempt at making the Pumpkin Pie Truffles was certainly not a elegant as Kerstin's version, I struggled a great amount with the chocolate. I think partly because I decided to put the truffles into the freezer for a bit while I prepped the chocolate (I did that because they were so soft I was afraid they would fall apart or loose their round shape to easily when dipped in the chocolate). So, when I dipped the cold truffles in the warm chocolate it just changed the temperature to quickly and didn't allow for a nice pretty even coating of chocolate like I was hoping for. But they still tasted amazing!! Yes just like pumpkin pie...ok maybe a little better! So if you have some patience and time on your hands, give these little treats a try! I loved the idea of putting a pecan in the top for the stem of the "pumpkin"...so cute!!!

Pumpkin Pie Truffles

(recipe from Cake Batter and Bowl)

I doubled the recipe and got 32 truffles, but the original recipe (below) makes 15 truffles.

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips

Several drops of orange gel food coloring

15 small pecan pieces

Mix butter, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice in a small nonstick pan and heat over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup.

Mix cooked pumpkin, brown sugar, flour, and salt in medium bowl until well combined. Chill dough for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Shape chilled dough into 15 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper on a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator while preparing chocolate.

Melt white chocolate chips in a shallow bowl on High 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds; stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Mix orange gel food coloring with the melted chocolate until smooth. Using 2 spoons, dip pumpkin balls into melted chocolate and cover evenly. Place on waxed paper and top each truffle with a pecan piece “stump”. Serve after chocolate sets, about 5 minutes.

S'mores Truffles

Anyone who knows me knows that S'mores are my all time favorite treat! I love sitting by the fire, roasting a marshmallow (which means catching it on fire for me!), and squishing that warm gooey marshmallow on top of generous piece of Hershey's Chocolate (or Reese cup...those are even more AMAZING!). Sometimes I even break down and have to resort to making one in the microwave just to fulfill my craving :o) but trust me those are not anywhere near as good as the campfire kind! I am always looking for recipe's that involve those three lovely s'more ingredients...remember those S'more Bars I made...ohhhh my those were so good!!!

I remember, quite a while ago actually, stumbling across these S'more Truffles on Sugar Plum's blog. (which by the way, if you haven't checked out her blog you really should...I find myself always wanting to bust through the screen and taste her creations!) I knew I ABSOLUTELY HAD to make these truffles, I just needed a good occasion. Ok maybe not a good occasion, because really making a s'more doesn't require anything!

Gosh look at those...I wish I could sink my teeth into one right now! Oh right...back to the truffles :o)

So a co-worker invited to a house warming party recently and I knew upon getting the invite that I wanted to make something really fun! I had booked marked this Truffle recipe, along with another s'more delight (stay tuned for that!), and finally decided to give it a whirl. It didn't require a lot of ingredients and it didn't seem like it was too complicated...although it sure takes a llot will power to not eat the whole batch!! I promise you these Truffles will NOT disappoint! They were a huge hit, so easy to make, and I can't wait to make them again!

S'mores Truffles

(recipe from Sugar Plum)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups milk chocolate chips (12 oz.)

24 mini-marshmallows

1 cup finely crushed graham crackers

Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat; whisk in cream and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Chill saucepan in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until chocolate is solid and rollable; roll into 24 balls, stuffing a mini marshmallow into the center of each. Chill truffles a few minutes before rolling in graham cracker crumbs; chill for a few minutes again so they solidify a little more.

Makes 24 truffles.

My one word of advice...double this recipe! While 24 truffles sounds like a lot IT ISN'T!!! And I really wished I would have made more!