Chocolate Truffles

I love chocolate truffles and for some reason, always thought they were hard to make.  After watching Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network make some, I thought "those are easy to make".  I immediately knew what I was making to take to Rachel's August clinic appointment. 

So easy, so pretty, & so yummy

Chocolate Truffles
from Simply Recipes

Ingredients -

1. 8 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate; chopped into small pieces
2. 1/2 c. heavy cream
3. 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Truffle coatings -

1. cocoa powder
2. finely chopped walnuts
3. finely chopped almonds

Directions -

1. In a small, heavy saucepan bring the heavy cream to a simmer.  (This will take a while,  be sure to stir and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes.)
2. Place chocolate in a separate bowl.  Pour cream over the chocolate, add vanilla, and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth.  ( This chocolate base is called a ganache.)
3. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for two hours.  Remove and with a teaspoon roll out balls of the ganache.  Roll in your hands quickly (will melt from the heat of your hands) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Place in the refrigerator overnight. 
4. Roll in cocoa powder or chopped nuts and serve, or place back in the refrigerator until needed. 

Makes roughly 30 truffles.

Calories - approx. 50.8 per truffle (without a coating on them)
Calories per batch of ganache - 1525

I also made dark chocolate and white chocolate truffles.  The dark chocolate truffles were made the same way, but in the white chocolate truffles - use 1/4 c. cream and omit the vanilla.  I coated my dark chocolate truffles with cocoa powder, my milk chocolate truffles - some with cocoa powder and some with toasted walnuts, and the white chocolate truffles with macadamia nuts.

Homemade "Outback" Ranch Dressing

I'm thrilled I was able to find a recipe for "Outback Steakhouse" ranch dressing.  I absolutely love restaurant ranch dressing, especially Outback's.  I finally decided to search the internet for a recipe and I found a winner.  Best of all, it's so easy and you probably have most; if not all the ingredients.

 

 

 

Outback Ranch Dressing
from - Group Recipes

(I slightly tweaked the ingredients based on what I already had and what I could find at the commissary)

 

Ingredients -

1. 1 tsp Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2. 1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
3. 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk
4. 1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
5. 1/4 tsp paprika
6. 1/4 tsp garlic powder
7. 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

 Directions -

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl or shaker.
2. Mix well; I used a whisk.
3. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
4. Enjoy!.....I know you will.

Words just can't express how much I love this dressing.  I now have no reason to ever go back to Outback!  LOL

Serving - 2 Tbsp.
Calories per serving - 109