German Chocolate Pecan Truffles Recipes

Steps:

• Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.
• Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the Grand Marnier, if using, coffee, and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
• With 2 teaspoons, spoon round balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. Roll in confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, or both. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Bake the cake according to package instructions using the eggs and vegetable oil for the cake.
• While the cake is baking, make the caramel sauce. In a saucepan, whisk together the evaporated milk, sugar and eggs. Add the butter and put the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and just starts to bubble, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely. This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated once cooled. Bring to room temperature when you are ready to use it.
• To assemble the trifle in a large trifle bowl: Cut the cake into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Make a layer in the bottom of the dish with 1/3 of the cubes. Drizzle with some of the caramel sauce, enough to moisten the cake but not cover it completely. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the coconut and 1/3 of the nuts. Repeat twice more adding a little extra drizzle of caramel over the final coconut and nuts. (Any extra caramel sauce can be used as a topping for ice cream or pound cake.) Serve immediately or refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
• Cook's Note: the trifle can also be assembled in individual wine glasses or large tumblers.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir together pecans, graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt until well combined. Add maple syrup, bourbon and vanilla, stirring thoroughly. Use your hands to make sure the mixture becomes fully incorporated.
• Form mixture into walnut-sized balls, then place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 2 hours.
• In the top of a double boiler or in a medium stainless steel bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, melt chocolate (we recommend tempering the chocolate, but if you don't, they'll still be delicious, just a bit messy). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip the frozen balls into the melted chocolate, then place onto prepared baking sheet. Let sit for 15 minutes or until firm.

Steps:

• Preheat a broiler. Spread the nuts on a foil-lined baking sheet and place under the broiler for about a minute to toast them lightly and evenly. Do not allow them to burn. Set them aside.
• Shave the chocolate into a heatproof mixing bowl and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate is nearly all melted. Remove the bowl and stir the chocolate until smooth. Stir in the nuts and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Stir in the butter and the bourbon. Refrigerate the mixture until it is firm.
• When firm, remove from the refrigerator and allow to soften for about 15 minutes. Place the cocoa in a shallow dish. Using a spoon, scoop half-tablespoons of the chocolate mixture, form somewhat uneven balls about an inch in diameter and roll them quickly into the cocoa. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The balls can also be frozen without the cocoa for later use and dusted with cocoa just before serving.