CHOCOLATE ALMOND CUPS

Steps:

• Place 8 ounces of the chocolate in a 2-quart mixing bowl. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream into the bowl with the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then stir together with a rubber spatula, whisk, or immersion blender until thoroughly blended. Add the ground almonds and blend well. Cover, let cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator until thick but not stiff (2 to 3 hours).
• Melt and temper the remaining 1 pound chocolate (see pages 25-30). Pour the chocolate into a paper pastry cone and cut off a 1/2-inch opening at the pointed end of the cone. Or pour the chocolate into a plastic squeeze bottle. Pipe or squeeze chocolate into sixty 1-inch foil candy cups, filling them. Let the chocolate begin to set up around the edges for 3 minutes then turn the cups upside down over a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and let the chocolate run out. This will leave a thin film of chocolate coating each cup.
• Fit a 12-inch pastry bag with a large, plain round pastry tip with a 1/2-inch opening and fill partway with the truffle cream. Pipe truffle cream into each foil cup to three-quarters full. Pipe the remaining tempered chocolate into each cup, filling them to the top edge. Place a whole almond on top of each cup, pressing lightly so that it will adhere. Let the candies set up at room temperature for 1 hour, or chill them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
• In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the almond cups will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. Serve the candies at room temperature either in the foil candy cups or on their own.
• Substitute any nuts for the almonds. Praline (page 147) can be substituted for the nuts.
• Nibby Truffle Cups: Substitute cacao nibs for the almonds.
• White Chocolate Nut Cups: For the filling, substitute 10 ounces white chocolate for the 8 ounces bittersweet and use 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Use 1 pound white chocolate rather than 1 pound bittersweet to coat and top the cups.
• Double Chocolate Nut Cups: For the filling, substitute 10 ounces white chocolate for the 8 ounces bittersweet and use 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Use 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate to coat the cups and 8 ounces white chocolate to top the cups.