MILK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the cream into heavy saucepan. Add the pod to the cream as well and bring to a boil. Allow to steep for 10 minutes.
• Strain the cream mixture through a dampened cheesecloth and wring out thoroughly. Add water if necessary to return the liquid to 240 ml.
• Bring the liquid back to a boil and pour over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes minutes, then stir gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well blended and smooth. There should be no lumps! If necessary, heat the ganache over a hot water bath to completely melt all of the chocolate.
• Gently stir the butter into the ganache until melted and smooth. Pour into half hotel pan(bread pans work good too) and cover.
• Let set overnight in refrigerator, or if your in a hurry, stick it in the freezer for an hour(depending on your freezer temperature- you dont want it TOO hard, but you don't want it too soft. If has to be a little hard- just enough to scoop and to be able to work with your hands when you roll them).
• When firm, use melon baller and scoop out small balls and roll together with hands to make a smooth hard ball.
• Place on cookie tray and continue to use your melon baller to scoop out balls. Do this until you have scooped out all of the chocolate.
• Return cookie tray to freezer or refrigerator and allow to firm up again.
• Once the truffles are firm and your chocolate is melted, line up all of your decorating ingredients, put your gloves on and make sure you have a fork in each bowl so you can roll the truffle around inches You want a main fork in the chocolate bowl- you don't want to mix up the ingredients in there or with the others- you don't want your truffles looking messy.
• Place a truffle in the melted chocolate and roll it around quickly with a fork until coated nicely. Transfer it with the fork to your desired decorating ingredient- roll the truffle around until it is coated and place onto a new clean cookie sheet.(I used 3" cake cups to put the truffles in so they look " fancier", but it works just as well to put them onto a cookie sheet or whichever you have on hand that works best for you). The truffle will set again, and whatever you coated onto it will harden quickly so nothing will fall apart.
• Continue to coat the truffles in the melted chocolate and roll them in your favorite ingredient.
• If needed, Re-melt the chocolate over a water bath if the chocolate gets too hard.
• Keep doing this until you have completed decorating your truffles.
• If you have any leftover chocolate, it is easy enough to store in a plastic container and put into the fridge! No waste! Same goes for all of your other ingredients- if you have any leftover coconut or crushed candy canes, etc- just put them into their own little snack bags and put them together in the fridge so they are ready for next time. You might have to pick out bits of chocolate and eat them! ;)
• Keep the truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer, either seems to work just fine. They come back to room temperature very fast so you don't have to sit around waiting for them to thaw out- they taste better when they are cooler in the center anyways!
• They make great party snacks, or Christmas gifts- you can be creative and use other ingredients to coat them with; these are just the ones I had on hand.