Irish Stout Tea-Infused Truffles #SundayFunday

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Thanks to Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for coordinating this low-stress group. 

And, for this event, Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures is hosting us to share some St. Patrick's day recipes. She wrote: "Let's make St. Patrick's Day recipes! Feel free to make traditional Irish cuisine or get creative and make something with leprechauns and rainbows!" Here's the line-up from the #SundayFunday bloggers...

• Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Irish Soda Bread & Leprechaun Traps
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Dingle Pie
• Our Good Life: Irish Nachos
• Palatable Pastime: Bangers and Mash
• Sneha’s Recipe: Keto Irish Scrambled Eggs With Chaffles
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Irish Stout Tea-Infused Truffles
• Food Lust People Love: Ham and Split Pea Soup (Instant Pot)
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Colcannon | Irish Mashed Potatoes with Kale
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Irish Potato Farls
• The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen: Easy Irish Soda Bread

Irish Stout Tea-Infused Truffles

I was trying to figure out an Irish dish to make that was new-to-the-blog. I mean I've shared Shamrock Salad-Topped Irish Boxty for #EattheWorld in 2018 and, Molly Malone's Drunken Mussels for #FishFridayFoodies in 2017. Irish Beef Guinness Stew has also been shared and last year I posted my Corned Beef and Cabbage on the #CulinaryCam YouTube channel. Watch it there...or here.

Instead, I wanted to make a sweet - instead of a savory. I have shared a Nutty Irish Car Bomb Cake. Unfortunate name, I know. But it's really delicious! And I can't wait to read Amy's post about Leprechaun Traps. It reminded me cookies D made for his Leprehaun Trap in second grade! Can you believe how little he was a decade ago?!

I found inspiration in our tea shelf! Irish Stout is a blend of Assam and Ceylon teas, cocoa nibs, chocolate and creme flavors topped off with shamrock-shaped sprinkles. I will be using it to make a savory dish soon, so stay tuned for that. But I decided to start with a tea-infused truffle dipped in a green candy coating that would make any leprechaun proud.

Ingredients

makes approximately 2 dozen truffles

Truffle Filling

• 1-1/2 cups 60% cacao chocolate, chopped or chips (a higher percentage of cacao is great, too!)
• 1 cup organic heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon butter, softened
• 1 Tablespoon Irish Stout tea from Adagio Teas (or any black tea will work)

Finishing

• 1-1/2 cups green candy melts
• green finishing sugar

Procedure

Truffles
Place chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl.  In a medium saucepan, pour in the cream and float the tea on top. Heat until steaming.

Strain cream over the chocolate.  Let sit for three minutes, then whisk until smooth.

Refrigerate until firm - at least an hour. Now all you need to do is scoop the ganache into truffles...and dip them in a candy coating.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. With a tablespoon or tablespoon scoop, scoop chilled truffle ganache from your bowl and place on the lined tray. Refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes. I let mine chill for about 30 minutes.

Finishing
Place the candy melts in a bowl fitted over a simmering pan of water.

Dip chilled truffles in the melted chocolate, one at a time.  You may use a candy dipping tool, but I just use a two-toothpick combo. Dip the truffle quickly into the melted candy melt and shake off the excess.  Place on the lined tray and use another toothpick to nudge the truffle off of the toothpick.

Dip the toothpick back into the melted candy melt and dab with more candy melt to cover up any imperfections.

Immediately after dipping, sprinkle the truffle with finishing sugar as garnish.  Repeat with remaining truffles. Let the candy melt set. Store the truffles in an airtight container in the fridge. Let come to room temperature for serving.

I brought these in to robotics to share. I will be definitely be making another batch before St. Patrick's Day this week. Éirinn go Brách!

That's a wrap for this week's edition of #SundayFunday. Next week we'll be sharing recipes with okra as a main ingredients. I can't wait. We love okra in this household. Stay tuned...