Mint Chocolate Truffle Cups

You Will Need:

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
¼- ½ tsp peppermint extract
Sprinkles – (If Desired)
18-20 foil or paper candy cups

Directions:

Place the small foil or paper candy cups onto a baking sheet and set aside for now. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl.

Place the cream and the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a simmer, but do not allow it to boil. While the mixture heats, stir occasionally so the butter melts.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and allow it to sit for a minute to soften the chocolate. Begin to whisk the mixture gently, until the chocolate melts and combines with the cream to form a beautifully shiny, thick mixture. This is your ganache. Add ¼ tsp of mint extract to the ganache and stir until it is well-combined. Taste it and add more extract if necessary, as different brands have different strengths.

Press a layer of cling wrap over the top of the ganache in the bowl, and refrigerate it until it is cool enough to hold its shape when piped, about 30-40 minutes. Do not let it chill for too long, or it will get too stiff to pipe and will have to sit at room temperature for a period to get warmer.

If you have a piping bag and tips, fit a star tip into a piping bag and fill the bag with ganache. If you do not have these tools, scrape the ganache into a plastic Ziploc bag and snip off the corner to form a hole about ½” wide.

Pipe your ganache into the prepared candy cups using a swirling motion, filling the cups and coming slightly above the top. If desired, top them with sprinkles or other decorations.

Once you have piped all the ganache, refrigerate the tray to set the chocolate fully, about 1 hour. Chocolate Mint Truffle Cups should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, where they will keep for about a week. Their taste and texture is best when they have warmed up a bit, so allow them to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.