With Valentine’s Day just a week away, I’ve been reminded that homemade gifts are best from the not so chubby hubby, my Eastern European import. Though I have plans to enjoy some wine and chocolate at a bookish event that day, I’ll still make some time for homemade truffles. (Recipe below)

Handmade gifts have always been a favorite of mine and I began my writing career in earnest to give the hubby a special Christmas gift. He’s as big a reader as I am, though our paths divulge on what we read. He is high fantasy, sci-fi, dark romance, and historical whereas I substitute horror for history-though if you look at history, it’s not much of a diversion.

This past weekend, getting in the Mardi Gras mood since Mardi gras, Valentine’s Day, and the Lunar New Year all fall within the same week, I took a trip to Beignets Donuts in Denville, NJ for some of their mouth watering beignets. While I was there, I had one of their specialty drinks, a rose cappuccino.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m all about health beneficial bitters, and coffee and rose are among them, so this combination was perfect. The rose syrup they used was sweet but not overly so, and the bitterness of the coffee was perfect with the over the top perfection of the beignets which were serve steaming hot.

No, they are not a blog sponsor, but if you’re in the area stop by and get you some of their specialty donuts or beignets. We drove about an hour, which for a fantastic beignet outside of the great state of Louisiana is definitely worth the drive.

My son had been asking for beignets for some time. Did I tell you he’s a fan of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog? Well every time we put it on he’s asking for beignets and can you blame him?

Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t make yeast doughs. It’s a witchy thing, yeast just dies on me leaving breads, donuts/Pączki, poppyseed cake, and even fermented drinks completely flat. I’ve even gone so far as to try wearing gloves and using one of those failproof bread makers, where I didn’t have to touch anything but my juju just up and kills the yeast and instead of a nice loaf I end up with a kitchen disaster similar to one in I Love Lucy reruns. That being said, I’ll leave the beignets to the professionals and stop in for another bite and a coffee (that’s ‘cawfee’ for everyone in NJ) real soon.

I’ve elected to forgo the cocktail/mocktail this week for candy. I’m not the kind of girl that likes those skinny cocktails, and if I’m limiting myself to 100 gratuitous calories, it’s going to be a dark chocolate truffle. (see that recipe below)

In the meantime, while I am busy writing, or at least trying to keep my ass in a seat long enough to turn out another book, I am prone to distractions. I have two small distractions (Butler and Mooshu the Chinese Crested Powderpuff dogs) that keep me out visiting the deer and the occasion possum, racoon, fox, or muskrat that happens by. Living near a salt marsh means that even in the colder months and this brutal 2026 winter we get to see nature on the daily, even if its just warblers fluffing out their feathers to stay warm, or Canadian geese enjoying the “warmer” weather in NJ.

For the dogs, everything is an interest. Because of their keen senses, I get to see things I would have otherwise missed. Since this winter had been bitterly cold, those walks are shorter and skin and paws are thoroughly inspected and cleaned. They haven’t met a shoe they couldn’t Houdini out of yet and we’ve tried buckles, straps, elastics, roll-ons… you name it but by the time they get down the stairs, the shoes are off. For us that means lots of paw butter, to keep their toe-beans soft and supple despite the cold and salt. It’s funny to watch them bliss out when they get their toes rubbed.  Paw butter recipe(double, triple, quadruple as needed): 2 tbsp shea butter, 1 tbsp coconut oil, and 2 tbsp beeswax pellets melted together in a double boiler. Add 2-3 drops of Vitamin E oil, pour into heat safe tins, and let it cool. It will firm up and you can use it liberally. Some people like to add mint scent or others to the mix. I leave it plain since the dogs use their sense of smell considerably more than we do.

Since I’m the kitchen witch at home, let’s talk truffles. The recipe I use is quick and simple and easy enough for children to help out. My daughter’s favorite are dusted with cocoa powder, but I like to dip mine in melted dark chocolate or those colored candy chocolate wafer things that you can just melt in the microwave. Candy wafers are always good to have around the house, just don’t let your pets get ahold of anything with chocolate in them. Theobromine, the chemical compound in chocolate, is fatal to doggies and wolves alike, so ensure you clean everything up tidy before you let your pets back in the kitchen.

Since I am the queen of substitutions, feel free to mix the recipe up and use milk chocolate or white chocolate for your ganache or coating.

Dark Chocolate Rose Ganache Truffles

Ingredients:

2 (100gram bars) 70% or better dark chocolate (200 grams total)

I love Ghirardelli’s 72% Cacao Intense Dark Chocolate bars for this but use your favorite chocolate-since mine is already sweetened I don’t need any additional sugar and I still get my dark chocolate polyphenols for health

4 ounces (volume) heavy cream/whipping cream

Rose flavor to taste (I use a couple drops of Angel Bake Rose flavor but you can use your favorite or swap out rose for any flavoring you like)

organic mini rose petals for garnish (fresh or dried)

cocoa power, melted chocolate, or candy melts to coat

Equipment:

bowls

saucepan

whisk

silicone spatula

cookie scoop or melon baller (small)

Hammer (optional)

How to:

1. For the ganache, first you need to chop up your chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat safe bowl. I like stainless steel bowls for this but ceramic is okay too.(This is when I gate the doggies in the other room, since in this dry winter chocolate slivers can go in all directions. An alternative is putting the chocolate in a food safe bag and beating it with a hammer, great way to get your frustrations out. I keep my hammer in the kitchen drawer. It’s one of my most useful tools.)

2. Heat your cream in a small saucepan on low to medium heat, stirring the entire time. DO NOT BOIL! We only need it warm enough to melt the chocolate. (Yes, you can microwave your cream in a heat safe container-whatever works for you)

3. Pour your heated cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until combined thoroughly. You want all the chocolate melted smooth. I fold it in first with a silicone spatula and then whisk in the flavoring. Kids will want to lick the spatula, just no double dipping.

4. Cover your ganache and put it in the refrigerator until set. This is the hard part, because no one likes waiting 2-3 hours. Sometimes I’ll start this the night before, so it’s ready to work with in the morning.

5. Make small ball of the ganache with a spoon, cookie scoop, or melon baller and coat in cocoa powder or freeze and dip in melted chocolate or candy melts. Can you use a truffle mold? Yes, of course, but I’m going for the easiest, simplest, way to do things. Truffle molds take things up a notch as fat as looks go, but don’t spend money you don’t have to.

6. While the candies are still wet, add a single mini rose petal or some red sanding sugar. (If you’re going full on Mardi Gras- use green, gold, and purple sugar)

7. Store in cool area until ready to serve

8. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by. Happy reading. See you next week!