Chocolate Flower Truffles

These chocolate flower truffles are the best! They are simple to make, adorable, versatile, and most importantly delicious! I made three different truffle types: white chocolate, white chocolate coconut, and dark chocolate. But feel free to make just one recipe.

Chocolate truffles are a decadent candy that melt as soon as they touch your tongue. For truffles it's very important that you use the highest quality chocolate or they won't set up properly. I used Lindt and Ghirardelli chocolate but Guittard is better if you can find it. I definitely preferred the Lindt to the Ghirardelli. For my truffles I only used vanilla extract for added flavoring but you can infuse the cream with vanilla bean, spices, citrus zest, coffee, or a tablespoon of alcohol such as rum to get the flavor combination you want.

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White Chocolate Truffles:

4-oz white chocolate, chopped

1/8 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

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White Chocolate Coconut Truffles:

4-oz white chocolate, chopped

1/8 cup heavy cream

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened)

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Dark Chocolate Truffles:

4-oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped; or 1/2 cup heaping bittersweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

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Truffle Coatings:

I used

Chopped coconut flakes and powdered food coloring

Chopped coconut flakes and cocoa powder

Chopped milk chocolate chips

Chopped candy melts

But truffles can be coated in anything you want really! Melted Chocolate, Nuts, Bacon, Sprinkles, Powdered Sugar

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Flower Petals:

Made using Wilton Candy Melts. Candy melts are candy flavored like chocolate that you can easily melt in the microwave or in a double-boiler.

Place 4-oz of chopped white chocolate in bowl.

Place 1/8 cup heavy cream in small saucepan over medium-high heat.

As soon as the cream boils, add 1/4 tsp vanilla, and pour over chopped chocolate

Let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds then stir until smooth.

If the chocolate mixture still has lumps you can put it in the microwave for 10 second intervals (just make sure you stir in-between). Or heat in double-boiler, stirring until smooth.

Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until truffles are firm (about an hour). If it's not firm put it in the freezer for an hour.

With a spoon, scoop out some of the truffle mixture.

Roll it into a ball with your fingers and hands. This is very messy!

Now you have a white chocolate truffle! We'll coat the truffles later. Truffles keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for a few months.

Place 4-oz of chopped white chocolate in bowl.

Chop 1/4 cup coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened) in a food processor or blender.

Place 1/8 cup heavy cream and 1/2 tbsp butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat.

As soon as the cream boils, add 1/4 tsp vanilla, and pour over chopped chocolate.

Let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds then stir until smooth.

If the chocolate mixture still has lumps you can put it in the microwave for 10 second intervals (just make sure you stir in-between). Or heat in double-boiler, stirring until smooth.

Add the chopped coconut and stir until combined.

Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until truffles are firm (about an hour). If it's not firm put it in the freezer for an hour.

With a spoon, scoop out some of the truffle mixture.

Roll it into a ball with your fingers and hands. The mixture will stick to your hands.

Now you have a white chocolate coconut truffle! We'll coat the truffles later. Truffles keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for a few months.

Place 4-oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped; or 1/2 cup heaping bittersweet chocolate chips in bowl.

Place 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1/2 tbsp butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat.

As soon as the cream boils, add 1/4 tsp vanilla, and pour over chopped chocolate.

Let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds then stir until smooth.

If the chocolate mixture still has lumps you can put it in the microwave for 10 second intervals (just make sure you stir in-between). Or heat in double-boiler, stirring until smooth.

Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until truffles are firm (about an hour). If it's not firm put it in the freezer for an hour.

With a spoon, scoop out some of the truffle mixture.

Roll it into a ball with your fingers and hands. This step is extremely messy!

Now you have a dark chocolate truffle! We'll coat the truffles later. Truffles keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for a few months.

A food processor or blender really comes in handy for this step.

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Candy Melt Coating: place some candy melts (as many as you want) in a food processor and blend until they are in tiny pieces. Place chopped candy melts on a plate or bowl and roll truffle in coating until coated.

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Colored Coconut Flakes: place some shredded coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened) in food processor and add a dab of food coloring. Blend until the color is well distributed. Roll truffle in coconut until coated. I was not at all happy with the yellowish-green I created, so be careful!

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Cocoa Powder Coconut Flakes: place some shredded coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened) in food processor and add cocoa powder (1/2 tsp at a time). Blend until the color is well distributed. Add more cocoa powder if the coconut doesn't look chocolaty enough. Roll truffle in coconut until coated.

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Milk Chocolate Coating: place some chocolate chips (as many as you want) in a food processor and blend until they are in tiny pieces. Roll truffle in chocolate bits until it's coated.

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Remember truffles can be coated in anything you want: nuts, bacon, sprinkles, cocoa powder, or powdered sugar! They are also fantastic dipped in chocolate.

Making the chocolate flower petals is the hardest part. The truffles are delicious with or without the chocolate flowers so this step is entirely optional. You can also melt the chocolate out of the bag: in a double-boiler or microwave it in a bowl, and then add it to a piping bag.

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Figure out how many flowers you want to make (each flower gets a truffle) and get out that many baking cups plus a few extra.

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Melting the Chocolate:

Place candy melts in a plastic piping bag (one that hasn't been cut) or a freezer bag. Each flower requires 2-3 candy melts. Twist the bag and wrap a rubber band around the twist.

Heat the bag of candy melts in the microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds; squeeze bag; put back in microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds; squeeze bag; repeat until chocolate is completely melted (be careful not to overheat).

You can also melt the chocolate out of the bag: in a double-boiler or microwave it in a bowl, and then add it to a piping bag.

Snip off the tip of the bag.

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Piping the Flower Petals:

Cover the bottom of a mini baking cup with a thin layer of chocolate.

Then, starting at the bottom of the baking cup, pipe a line of chocolate up the side of the cup that tapers off towards the top.

Continue to pipe lines up the side of the baking cup, leaving a space between each line.

Repeat with all baking cups.

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Place the baking cups with flowers on a plate or tray and place in the freezer for 10 minutes or until hardened.

To finish the flower truffles, simply place a coated truffle in each chocolate flower. You can leave the flower truffles in the mini baking cups or peel them off. Truffles keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for a few months. Truffles are better served at room temperature.

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Unwrapping the Chocolate Petals: Gently pull down on the top edge of the baking cup paper (only pull down about a 1/4 of an inch)! Then, going around the top edge, continue to carefully pull down the paper a 1/4 of an inch. Finally, pull the paper the rest of the way down and pull off the flower. If one of the petals break off, just stick it in the truffle (see picture).

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Be sure to enjoy!