If you do nothing else this holiday season, make yourself a batch of homemade Grand Marnier Truffles. You won’t regret it. Neither will your friends.
I make truffles at least once every holiday season, and every time, without fail, I take that first test bite, and I’m blown away all over again. So at the risk of insulting you with the bleeding obvious — make truffles! They are unlike anything else in the food world, they are dead simple to make, and, my gosh, they make the best food gift ever! I wish I could hand you one right now so you could take a bite.
I’m not going to waste your time, I know we’re all busy. All you need is a bag of your favorite dark chocolate chips, a little bit of heavy cream, some Grand Marnier, or any other liqueur you love, and a little bit of cocoa powder for dusting the truffles. Beyond heating up the cream, and you can do that in the microwave, there is no cooking involved.
I’m going to have to hide these!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 11 ounce bag of dark chocolate chips (I used Nestle)
- 2 Tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting, sifted
Instructions
- Heat the cream until it just comes to a simmer. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave.
- Put the chocolate and Grand Marnier in a mixing bowl and pour the cream over it. Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes. Stir to melt the chocolate, the mixture should be smooth and glossy. If necessary you can microwave for a short burst to completely melt the chocolate.
- Refrigerate the chocolate ganache until it is chilled and scoop-able, about 2 hours.
- I use my smallest 1 inch scoop to portion out the ganache. Roll it into a smooth ball between your hands and then roll it in the cocoa powder. When all the truffles are coated, refrigerate them until serving.
notes:
- 2 tablespoons of liqueur makes a subtle but definite statement. You can experiment with adding more.
- I can’t think of a liqueur that wouldn’t be good in a truffle, so let your imagination go wild. I love to use the small airline sized bottles for projects like this, you can stock up on lots of varieties and have a blast experimenting. Try Kahlua, Chambord, Limoncello…
- Keep the truffles in the refrigerator, and serve chilled. They will go soft if they’re left in a warm room.
Don’t forget to pin these incredible Grand Marnier Truffles!
If you’re passionate about chocolate like I am, follow along on my Pinterest Chocolate Board!
36 Comments
Lori
December 13, 2017 at 4:05 pmCan these be made with semi sweet chocolate as opposed to dark chocolate? They look great and I can’t wait to try them.
Sue
December 13, 2017 at 4:20 pmYes, absolutely!
Bonnie Quick
December 13, 2017 at 11:25 amThese sound really good, however I’m unable to do any liquor. Do you have any ideas to replace it? Unfortunately I cannot have alcohol in any baked dishes or desserts. I’m a recovering alcoholic.
Thank you! And Merry Christmas!?
Sue
December 13, 2017 at 11:53 amBonnie you can leave the alcohol out with no problem at all, they will still be amazing. You can flavor with any extract you like, vanilla, almond, peppermint, the sky’s the limit. Merry Christmas to you too!
Jan
November 25, 2017 at 4:28 pmThese were the best! Made them last year for everyone that dropped by. We moved earlier this year so all my new neighbors are getting these.
Sue
November 25, 2017 at 6:35 pmOh thanks for letting me know Jan, lucky neighbors ;)
Liz
November 22, 2017 at 12:59 pmI want to try these with all sorts of liqueurs!! So dreamy and delicious!!!
Sue
November 22, 2017 at 1:01 pmI know Liz, the possibilities are amazing!
Susan
December 17, 2015 at 9:33 amHi Sue! These does look absolutely scrumptious and I love Grand Marnier (usually on the rocks :-)). Been having a heck of a time leaving a comment here lately. Looks like I may be successfull today, thankfully!
Sue
December 17, 2015 at 9:42 amFirst, I agree about the Grand Marnier on the rocks, I’m so glad I have some leftover! And second, so sorry you’re having trouble commenting, I’d love to know what’s happening so I can try to get it solved. Have a wonderful holiday Susan :)
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
December 14, 2015 at 10:07 pmI love truffles and you’re so right – they really are the best gift!
Karen
December 14, 2015 at 4:32 amSorry Sue…….I hadn’t seen your timely response to my initial question. Thank you :)
Sue
December 14, 2015 at 7:33 amThey COULD keep even longer, I was being conservative, Karen.
Karen
December 14, 2015 at 4:27 amThese look delicious Sue…………….how long will they keep in the refrigerator?
Diane {Created by Diane}
December 13, 2015 at 4:53 pmThese look irresistible and I bet they taste amazing!
Gerlinde in Washington
December 13, 2015 at 1:47 pmI love the simplicity of your recipe! Those truffles look gorgeous!
Sue
December 13, 2015 at 2:44 pmI think when it comes to truffles it’s the simpler the better!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
December 13, 2015 at 7:29 amBeautiful! Love truffles in any form, but especially loving your boozy ones here :)
Karen
December 13, 2015 at 7:00 amThese look delicious Sue……..how long will they keep in the refrigerator?
Sue
December 13, 2015 at 7:38 amI’d think a good while, Karen — I’m going to guess up to 2 weeks?
Monica
December 13, 2015 at 4:18 amI made grand marnier truffles one Christmas and I remember how amazing they were and made great gifts. Everyone loves smooth, smooth chocolate with a little liqueur thrown in! This makes me want to make a batch immediately!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
December 12, 2015 at 4:07 pmWe are big fans of Grand Marnier liqueur, and chocolate too! These look fabulous Sue – a perfect holiday bite!
Faleen
December 12, 2015 at 11:47 amI realize that the cream gives the truffle it’s richness as well as texture…..but can you please suggest what i could substitute for it if i want to make them dairy free (parve)…..thank you in advance.
Sue
December 12, 2015 at 12:18 pmI haven’t tried this, but I think you might be able to make them with a full fat coconut milk or cream, Faleen.
Medeja
December 12, 2015 at 11:31 amI really enjoy good truffles especially when they include alcohol :)
Sue
December 12, 2015 at 12:09 pmI hear ya ;)
Linda L.
December 12, 2015 at 11:08 amIs it cold where you are – are you maybe dreaming of another season?
“Heat the cream until it just comes to a summer.” :)
Sue
December 12, 2015 at 11:09 amHaha — fixed!
Colleen
December 12, 2015 at 10:25 amHas anyone tried dipping them in a chocolate coating that will stay hard at room temperature? Kind of like a lindor chocolate?
Sue
December 12, 2015 at 10:28 amYou could definitely do that Colleen.
Dan Frain
September 24, 2016 at 7:06 pmWould a ganache made of ONLY chocolate and cream do the trick?
My ganache tends to be pretty solid when it comes out of the fridge. I’m not sure how well the cocoa powder would stick, but I think it’s worth trying.
Face it, chocolate will NOT go uneaten.
Angie@Angie's+Recipes
December 12, 2015 at 4:08 amThey look sensational, Sue!
Sue
December 12, 2015 at 7:42 amThanks Angie, my husband ate the ganache right out of the bowl, it was pretty addictive!
Amy
December 12, 2015 at 4:08 amThese will be a treat, and maybe a gift for some of my friends.
Sue
December 12, 2015 at 7:42 amI think truffles are a really classic gift, Amy, just be sure to keep them chilled.