Goat Cheese Chocolate Truffles

Looking for a unique chocolate recipe (possibly or possibly not for Valentine’s Day), I went on a long and thorough search. Although the only caveat was that the recipe must contain chocolate, I hardly felt overwhelmed. One of my greatest pastimes nowadays easily could be browsing cookbooks and the Internet for recipes I would want to try. And with my narrow condition, I was unsurprised when I found I had a great deal of sifting to do in order to get to what I wanted. As with many things in this world, when I saw this recipe, I knew it was just meant to be. Goat Cheese Chocolate Truffles: with these two main ingredients, how could I go wrong?

I have not yet had the practice that I crave making candies and confections – what a vast world of endless creativity and deliciousness! – but truffles like these are a simple entrée into this universe. The preparation was not at all difficult, and my slight hesitation did not lie in my ability to make the truffles; I just wasn’t sure how goat cheese and chocolate would mesh. Goat cheese, I love; chocolate, I adore. I was willing to try them together, but even as I set the bowl in the refrigerator to chill, I had my doubts.

Of course, I’m happy to have tried this experiment. If nothing else, I enjoyed watching the quizzical looks I received from announcing the name of the truffles. And they did provide an interesting flavor experience. I think I rolled the truffles a bit too large; these should not be bitten into two, but consumed in one bite, allowing the bitterness of the cocoa powder to mix with the sweetness of the chocolate in the truffle and the creamy sensation that the goat cheese provides. It was not entirely dissimilar from the taste of cheesecake blended heavily with chocolate (along with the richness of cheesecake). For something very different, and not terribly labor intensive, I would highly suggest whipping up a batch for a lovely gift or an addition to a dessert buffet.

Goat Cheese Chocolate Truffles
From Epicurious.com
Yield: About 25 truffles

Ingredients:
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
6 oz. (about 3/4 cup) fresh goat cheese
2 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. lemon extract
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted, for coating the truffles

Directions:
1. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate, stirring until it is smooth; remove from heat and let the chocolate cool slightly.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the goat cheese, the confectioners' sugar, the vanilla, and the lemon extract until the mixture is light and fluffy. Whisk in the chocolate until the mixture is combined well, and chill the mixture, covered, for 1 hour, or until it is firm.
3. Form teaspoons of the mixture into balls and roll the balls in the cocoa powder. Chill the truffles on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper for 30 minutes, or until they are firm. The truffles keep in an airtight container, chilled, for 3 days.