Dark Chocolate Red Wine Truffles are an indulgent treat, perfect for a gift or to stock up your fridge with treats for yourself. The rich, almost-bitter chocolate is enhanced with a hint of red wine, making this a truffle you’ll want to enjoy slowly…over and over and over.
I’m pretty sure I had just gotten finished with telling my husband that I wasn’t sure how many holidays I’d “celebrate” this year before I launched into making a TON of chocolatey goodness and pulling out my Valentine’s Day tea towels. I take back everything I just said. Holidays are my jam.
I haven’t ever made truffles before, though! And let me tell you, they are so easy you’ll laugh when your friends gush over how amazing you are for making truffles. Or just smile smugly. Can you guess which one I’d do?
Not to sound like Ina [though really, would that be so bad?], but you need to use really good dark chocolate here. If you don’t think you could eat the chocolate straight from the package, there’s no point in making truffles with it. Think Ghirardelli, Valrhona, Guittard…something really yummy. I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips. If you’re vegan, choose an amazing vegan dark chocolate.
And, instead of loading them with cream, I opted for coconut milk! That way, you can gift them confidently to a dairy-free friend. Plus, that’s what I had on hand. Just another reason these were so easy.
I’ve even included in the instructions the way to do these in the microwave! Yes! No double-boiler nonsense. Unless, of course, you really ARE Ina and a double-boiler is the only way you’d ever melt chocolate. Totally up to you. I’ll stick with the microwave.
Now, the wine! I used whatever I already had open on my counter. I used a Pinot Noir that I happen to adore. I wouldn’t, however, go any lighter than that. Stick to something full-bodied and nothing too overly sweet or you’ll clash with your dark chocolate. Something rich and something you’d sip slowly on during a romantic dinner. You know the ones: Merlot, Cabernet, Malbec,, Pinot Noir…make it good.
I hope you make these! They’re so simple. And my mom drooled all when I presented them to her. So they’re definitely a hit.
- 12 ounces dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli)
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbs. coconut milk (full fat, canned)
- 2 Tbs. rich red wine (Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet, or Pinot Noir)*
- Dark or unsweetened cocoa powder
- In a glass, microwave-safe bowl, start melting the chocolate. Microwave for 1 minute on half-power. Stir, then repeat (on half-power!), stirring [with a fork or whisk] and heating until the chocolate is melted. Stop when you have just tiny bits of chocolate left to melt, and stir vigorously, melting the last of the chocolate and creating a glossy, melty bowl of deliciousness.
- Now, add the coconut milk and stir vigorously until completely smooth. Next, add the red wine, and stir again until completely incorporated and smooth. [You may think it looks like its breaking apart or not smooth as soon as you add the coconut milk or wine and start stirring. Trust me, just start whisking away and it’ll all come together.]
- Refrigerate the chocolate, covered with plastic wrap, for 4-6 hours (or overnight), until completely cool and set (but it will still be scoopable).
- Set up a bowl of cocoa powder and an empty container (or mini cupcake liners) in an assembly line.
- Use a teaspoon-sized scoop (teaspoons, melon baller, small cookie scoop) to scoop out the chocolate. Roll it quickly between your palms to smooth into a ball (I didn't need to do this because my scoop is very round, so I just dropped them straight into the cocoa). Drop the ball into the cocoa powder, roll it around until covered, then transfer to a paper liner or a container. Repeat until all of your chocolate is gone (I got around 40 truffles out of the batch!).
- Package them for a loved one, share, enjoy!
- Keep truffles in a sealed container on the counter for a week or in the fridge in a sealed container for a few weeks. Just keep them in a cool, dry environment. I recommend the fridge just to be safe.
- *When I originally wrote the recipe, I had 3 Tbs of wine, which worked wonderfully. But when I remade the recipe, it seemed to have a different texture than the first time, and I think decreasing the wine just a tad will help with this.
Happy Groundhog’s Day?
These are to die for! I love truffles! And adding wine ~ excellent combo 🙂
Kristy @ Chocolate Slopes recently posted…Simple Homemade Granola {with an extra nutritional kick}
Thank you Kristy!
Oh my! These sound so good. I’m a fan of anything with red wine and chocolate. I mean, who isn’t?
Bianca recently posted…Super Bowl Bites
Cheers to that!
You have managed to capture two of my favorite things: chocolate & wine. These truffles look delicious.
:] // ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲
Two of my favorites too! Thank you
you need to sell these! way better than the cheap chocolate that’s sold in stores now!
Linz @ Itz Linz recently posted…Super Bowl Sunday 2015
Thanks girl! You’re the best!
Those are definitely perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Thank you Erin!
these look amazing!
xx danielle // shades of danielle // bloglovin
I’ve made your Dark Chocolate Red Wine Truffles twice now….. my problem is they do not get firm….. Very good taste but not firm… what am I doing wrong? Thank you
Hi Wanda! I’m sorry you’re having trouble with the truffles. What do you mean “they do not get firm”? Do you mind clarifying so I can troubleshoot? When I refrigerate the chocolate for several hours (or overnight) after mixing in the coconut milk and wine, the chocolate becomes scoopable but still relatively soft, so when I roll it quickly into a ball, it is “sticky” yet it becomes a ball. I drop the chocolate ball into the cocoa, roll it around, and that creates a nice coating and barrier so the truffles don’t stick to anything. Sounding familiar to what you’re doing? Or way off point? Remember, they will never become solid or like “snapable” chocolate because it is a truffle, which has a silky texture. I really want to help solve this for you 🙂
Melissa @ Treats With a Twist recently posted…Fig Macaroon Granola