Truffle Acorns Recipes

ACORN COOKIE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Make cookies as directed on pouch. Cool completely, at least 20 minutes.
• In food processor, process half of the cookies to fine crumbs. Remove and set aside; process remaining cookies to fine crumbs. Mix all cookie crumbs in food processor. Add cream cheese and hazelnut spread. Process 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined and mixture forms a ball.
• Shape cookie mixture into 46 (1 1/4-inch) balls. Flatten each ball into palm of hand to about a 2-inch circle. Place 1 pretzel in center. Form cookie mixture around pretzel into an oblong acorn shape, leaving about 1 inch of pretzel showing for stem. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining balls and pretzels. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening uncovered on High 60 seconds. Stir; continue to microwave in 30-second increments until mixture can be stirred smooth. In small bowl, place chopped almonds.
• Remove one-third of cookie acorns at a time from refrigerator. Place on second waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Carefully holding chilled cookie acorn by pretzel stem, hold over bowl of melted chocolate. Using spoon, spoon melted chocolate over cookie acorn to cover. Gently shake off excess chocolate.
• Continue to hold cookie acorn; hold over almond bowl. Using another clean spoon, sprinkle almonds over top third of acorn. Place on lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie acorns. If chocolate has cooled too much, reheat. Refrigerate truffles about 30 minutes or until coating is set. Store covered in refrigerator.

CORN TRUFFLE (HUITLACOCHE) QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, and epazote and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir corn truffles into onion mixture; cook and stir until truffle liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and keep warm.
• Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot. Moisten both sides of two tortillas with water and place them, stacked together, onto the hot griddle; cook until the bottom tortilla is crisp, about 2 minutes. Flip the stacked tortillas and cook the other tortilla until crisp, about 2 minutes. Separate the two tortillas; place them separately, uncooked side down, onto the hot griddle. Cover the crisp side of one tortilla with 1/5 of the Oaxaca cheese; place 1/5 of the corn truffle mixture over the cheese, then lay the crisp side of the second tortilla on top to cover the truffle mix.
• Cook, turning once, until both tortillas are crisp and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes; repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, and corn truffle mixture. Cut each quesadilla into four wedges to serve.

ACORN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until blended; shape into 48 (1-inch) acorn-shaped balls. Freeze 10 min.
• Meanwhile, break 24 pretzels in half; reserve for later use. Finely crush remaining pretzel pieces and whole pretzel sticks.
• Cover rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Melt white chocolate and 1 pkg. bittersweet chocolate as directed on package; mix well. Dip cream cheese balls, one at a time, into melted chocolate, turning to completely coat bottom 3/4 of each ball with chocolate. Place on prepared baking sheet. Freeze 10 min. or until chocolate is firm.
• Melt remaining bittersweet chocolate. Dip uncoated (top) portion of each cream cheese ball, one at a time, into bittersweet chocolate, then into crushed pretzels; return to baking sheet. Insert 1 reserved pretzel-stick half into top of each ball for the acorn stem.
• Refrigerate 1 hour or until chocolate is firm.

TRUFFLE ARANCINI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the onion until soft but not browning, about 10 mins. Stir in the garlic, fry for a minute, then tip in the rice. Turn up the heat slightly and stir the rice into the onions, toasting the grains until they look semi-translucent. Stir in the wine and simmer until absorbed.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time, continually stirring, until the rice is just tender and the risotto is creamy, about 20 mins. Stir in the truffle paste to taste, seasoning and 100g of the parmesan. Stir off the heat for a minute until well combined, then transfer to a tray or container, cover and leave to cool.
• Once cool, take spoonfuls of the risotto and mould in your hands (damp hands will help prevent the rice sticking). You should end up with 16-18 ping pong-sized balls.
• Put the breadcrumbs, eggs, and flour into separate shallow bowls. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Stir the remaining 25g cheese into the breadcrumbs.
• Toss the arancini into the flour, rolling to coat, then dunk in the egg, and then the breadcrumbs. Repeat with all the arancini.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep saucepan, no more that half-full, to 180C or until a cube of bread browns within 30 seconds. Lower the arancini into the oil on a slotted spoon, in batches, and fry for 6-8 mins until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper while you fry the rest.
• To serve, sprinkle with a little sea salt and drizzle with truffle oil. Serve with a loose pesto, or tomato sauce for dunking, if you like.