Chocolate Cherry Truffles for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is all about Chocolate and for me anything Red, and that includes Cherries. Remember your first Valentine's Day card? I bet it had a red heart on it. I used to love Chocolate Covered Cherries on Valentine's Day.

This year I thought I'd post two recipes for Chocolate Cherry Truffles. One has alcohol (Kirsch-Cherry liqueur) and one is non-alcoholic. They're both easy to make which is what this blog is all about.

Happy Valentine's Day!

1. Chocolate Kirsch Truffles
adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients
1 pound DARK chocolate (65-75% cacao),  chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup sweet butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
4 tablespoons KIRSCH (cherry liqueur)
3 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Directions
Melt chocolate with cream in heatproof bowl or a saucepan set over another saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Add butter and Kirsch; stir until smooth.
Transfer to 8-inch square baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm but still maleable (about 2 hours)
Using melon baller, drop balls of chocolate mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
Put cocoa powder into large bowl. Using cocoa-dusted hands and working one at a time, roll balls between your palms until smooth.
Roll in cocoa to coat. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Easy Chocolate Cherry Truffles

Ingredients
13 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped  (Trader Joe's has different kinds)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Dash of salt
1/2 cup DARK cocoa powder

Directions
In saucepan over another saucepan with simmering water, combine chocolate and cream. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Stir in chopped dried cherries, balsamic vinegar and salt.
Pour into small baking pan (8 x 8) and refrigerate until set (about 2 hours).
Put cocoa in a bowl.
Using melon-baller, scoop out a small ball of chocolate mixture.
Place each ganache ball on silpat mat or parchment lined cookie sheet until all chocolate is used up. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Take out of refrigerator and roll into balls with your hands.
Roll balls in cocoa powder until coated.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.