Orange Truffles

These are proper French-style chocolate truffles with a serious orange punch. Semi-sweet chocolate melted with butter, powdered sugar, Cointreau, and orange marmalade, then chilled and rolled in chopped almonds. The combination of chocolate and orange is classic for a reason.

The ganache-like base comes together in a double boiler. Cream the butter and powdered sugar separately, then gradually stir in the marmalade, Cointreau, and melted chocolate. That ¾ cup of Cointreau is generous and intentional. It gives these truffles a boozy warmth that hits right after the chocolate.

After 20 minutes in the fridge, the mixture firms up just enough to scoop and roll. Dip your hands in powdered sugar before shaping. The sugar keeps the chocolate from sticking to your palms and melting from your body heat.

Press each ball into chopped almonds, roll once more for full coverage, and drop into candy cases.

Chef Tips

• Work quickly when rolling. The chocolate softens fast from the warmth of your hands. If it gets too soft, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes
• Melt the chocolate slowly over barely simmering water. Direct heat or boiling water can seize the chocolate
• Chop the almonds to a medium-fine consistency. Too coarse and they won’t stick; too fine and they lose their crunch
• These keep well in a cool place for up to a week, making them great for holiday gifting

Variations

• Roll in unsweetened cocoa powder instead of almonds for a classic truffle look
• Swap Cointreau for Grand Marnier or dark rum for a different boozy character
• Use dark chocolate (70% cacao) instead of semi-sweet for a more intense, bittersweet truffle