Truffle Pistachio Hearts Recipes

WHITE CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Heat the sweetened condensed milk, pistachio butter and 1 pound white chocolate chips in a double boiler over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted. Stir; the mixture will have a slight marshmallow texture. Remove from the heat, then cover and refrigerate until chilled, 2 hours.
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Melt the remaining 1/2 pound white chocolate together with the coconut oil over a double boiler on medium-low heat until smooth. Set aside.
• Roll the chilled truffle batter into teaspoon-sized balls. Using a fork, dip each ball into the melted white chocolate coating, and let the excess chocolate drip off. Immediately sprinkle with the chopped pistachios and place on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make more truffles.
• Allow the chocolate exterior to set completely, about 30 minutes. If short on time, chill for 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

TRUFFLE AND PISTACHIO SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Put the ground pork into a large bowl. Add the wine, garlic, pepper, curing salt, pistachios, and truffles, if using. Mix well with your hands. Divide the mixture in half. Form and press each half into a sausage about 8-inches long and 2-inches in diameter. Take care to press the mixture firmly enough to eliminate air bubbles, which would result in unsightly holes in the sausages. Wrap individually in plastic wrap, twisting the ends to enclose the sausages, and then roll each of them in aluminum foil, twisting the ends of the foil. Refrigerate for at least 3 days to cure. (Freeze 1 of the sausages, if desired, and thaw it slowly in the refrigerator before cooking.)
• The very important part of poaching these sausages is to do it at a low temperature for a long time. This makes a big difference in the taste and juiciness of the meat. Bring a pot of water to between 150 and 160 degrees F. Lower the wrapped sausages into the pot, and place a heavy lid that is a little smaller than the top of the pot on top of the sausages to weigh them down in the pot and keep them immersed in the water. Cook in the same temperature range, checking the pot occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the sausages is close to the same temperature as the water, about 150 degrees F. To keep warm, let the sausages sit in the 150 to 160 degrees F water until serving time.
• Note: Morton Tender Quick Curing Salt is a curing agent composed of 99 percent salt, 1/2 percent sodium nitrate, and 1/2 percent sodium nitrite. If you use regular salt the sausages will be fine to eat but will be gray in color rather than the appealing pink color achieved with the curing agent.

PISTACHIO TRUFFLES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring cream, butter, and corn syrup to a full boil overmedium heat. Turn off heat. Add 1 poundchocolate; gently swirl pan to coverchocolate with cream, but do not stir. Let stand, undisturbed, 5 minutes.
• Slowly whisk until combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; refrigerate,stirring every 15 minutes.
• After 45 minutes, mixture will thickenquickly, so stir every 3 to 5 minutes untilthick enough to scoop, 10 to 20 minutesmore. Using two spoons or a small ice-cream scoop, form into 1-inch balls; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Chill until firm, but not hard, about 10minutes. Remove from refrigerator; rollin palms to form a ball, and press gentlywith fingers to create irregular shapes.Chill until ready to dip, up to 1 week.Place remaining 12 ounces chocolate ina heatproof bowl over a pan of simmeringwater; stir occasionally until chocolatemelts. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
• Place pistachios in a small bowl. Removecenters from refrigerator. Using onehand, dip one center into melted chocolate, then roll around in your hand tocoat evenly, letting excess drip back intopan. Place truffle in pistachios. With yourclean hand, cover truffle with pistachios. Letsit in bowl 20 seconds.
• Lift out, and set on a parchment-linedbaking sheet. Repeat with remainingtruffles. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate 5 minutes to set. You can storetruffles in airtight containers up to 1week at a cool room temperature.

TRUFFLE PISTACHIO HEARTS

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips, cream and butter in microwave-safe bowl or large measuring cup. Microwave on high power for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until chocolate is melted. Beat with wire whip until smooth and fluffy. Mix in chopped pistachios. Turn into 8 inch square or 6"x 10" pan (or dish) lined with sheet of foil. Chill until firm. Lift chocolate from pan, holding onto foil for easy handling. Cut out heart shapes with small heart cutter, or cut shapes with tip of knife, using a hand-drawn cardboard heart as a pattern. They may soften when being handled, but will firm up again.
• For decoration, dip sides of hearts in extra ground pistachios, cocoa or chocolate sprinkles, then place on platter.
• Any extra trimmings may be rolled into little bite-size balls; roll in ground pistachios, cocoa or chocolate sprinkles and place in candy cups.