Every year at Christmas time I always find myself baking for people. Last year and the year before I baked pies as gifts. One Christmas morning I even surprised my mother and her fiance with waffles and champagne in bed.
This year I started a little early, with work raising money for Feed Nova Scotia. I’ve always liked volunteering my time to help, so when the managers suggested a “back of house” bake off I was all in. All of the cooks and dishwashers were asked to bake if they wanted to; for a chance to win a gift card and raise money for charity. Anyone in our staff was able to buy these goods for a set price.
I found myself in the Christmas mood, nothing said Christmas more than CANDY CANES! Now what was going to be different than everyone’s baking? “they’ll probably all bake cupcakes” I thought to myself. I know, truffles! That’s when I did a little research and came up with this delicious combination.
Ingredients you’ll need:
4oz cream cheese (softened)
1.5 cups icing sugar
2.5 cups white chocolate (melted)
2 tps mint extract
candy canes (crushed)
Equipment needed:
Medium sized pot
Medium bowl
Two small bowl (One fits nicely on top of pot)
Wooden spoon
Rubber spatula
A sheet pan or two
Parchment paper
Some forks
Ice cream scoop
**If you have a stand mixer you can use this instead mixing it by hand with a spoon and bowl (low to medium speed**
Method:
1. Place a pot with a small amount of water on the stove and bring to a simmer.
2. Combine the softened cream cheese, icing sugar, and mint extract. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
3. Put the white chocolate in a smaller bowl (one that first the best on top of the pot). Place the bowl with chocolate on top of the simmering pot of water to gently melt the chocolate. Occasionally stir the chocolate making sure it does not burn. Before it is completely melted take the bowl off the heat and stir till it is finished. The finished product should look smooth and silky.
4. Mix together the cream cheese mixture and melted white chocolate. ( you can incorporate crushed candy canes in this mixture if you like, I regret not doing this)
5. Place plastic wrap directly on top of mixture while still in the bowl and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
6. Take mixture out of fridge and check if it is hard and not sticky. If it’s not mix in more icing sugar and let sit in fridge longer. If it is, it’s time to scoop and roll into balls. Using a ice cream scoop (or a table spoon if you don’t have one) scoop balls onto a pan with parchment paper. Place into freezer for 5 minutes to chill quickly.
7. In your hands rolls scooped balls in your hands to create a smoother rounder ball. Place back in freezer to chill again.
8. At this point you can either coat the balls in white chocolate OR roll them in crushed candy canes. It’s up to you! To coat in chocolate follow step 3 to melt it. Place one ball at a time in the chocolate rolling it around to fully coat. Use a fork to neatly take it out of the bowl, try to get as much chocolate off by using the force of gravity. Gently roll the ball off the fork onto the sheet pan, you may use a butter knife to help assist you. Place in fridge to completely cool and harden the chocolate.
Savouring It. 