Tea Party: Orange Cream Chocolate Truffle Patties

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, these little treats were my favorite at our recent tea party.

I also only happened to make 7 of them, so they were all the more desirable for their scarcity.

They were also semi-disastrous. They wouldn't set up and came out as patties instead of nice round truffles, so I almost threw the whole thing away.

But I'm SO glad I didn't. Really glad. Really really glad. Because there's something irresistible, to me, about the chocolate and orange combination. I really enjoy it in general, and these?

Smooth.

Velvety.

Bliss.

Orange Cream Chocolate Truffle Patties
Printable recipe

For the filling:
1 cup of good quality white chocolate very finely chopped (or white chocolate chips if you want patties)
Zest of 1 orange (reserve a little for garnishing)
5 tbsp. heavy cream

For the coating: 
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I did actually use a good quality chocolate baking bar instead of chips here)
3 tsp. oil (optional -- to make the chocolate coating smoother)

Heat the cream to a simmer (in the microwave or on the stove). Pour heated cream over chopped white chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Add in zest and stir until white chocolate is smooth and melted (if there's just not enough heat, microwave in 10-15 second intervals until it melts). Cover and refrigerate until the filling is firm and scoopable, 2-3 hours (I let it go overnight).

Using a small scoop or measuring spoon, scoop a small amount of the filling mixture and, working quickly, roll into a smooth ball (if it will let you), about ¾-1 inch in diameter. If it won't let you roll it into a ball, you'll have truffle patties but they still taste amazing. Don't sweat it. Transfer the shaped balls/patties to a flat plate or baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.

 To coat the truffles, melt the bittersweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (this really does make it smoother and helps it stay smoother longer, but you can microwave for 20 second intervals until smooth, as well).  Mix in the oil, if using.  (You may want to transfer the melted chocolate to a small, deep bowl for easier dipping.)  Using a fork, quickly dip a filling ball into the chocolate and remove, gently shaking off the excess.  Return the filling ball to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining balls until all are coated.  While chocolate is still wet, garnish with a little more orange zest (I used lemon zest because my orange was already stripped bare, and they still tasted amazing). Chill to set the coating, at least 30 minutes.