Food and Drink: Short and Sweet

Okay, so I’m on vacation – meaning, this will be short and sweet. How else can I spend every single spare second on the beach?

Before I left, I promised Patch readers prettier posts – curry cauliflower and cooked-down zucchini didn’t do the trick. I plan to keep that promise, willing that the kitchen gods keep me in their favor.

I started with this number – raspberry cheesecake truffles. They’re a combination of two recipes from one of – if not my very – favorite food blogs.

Check out this recipe. Then this one.

Raspberry cheesecake truffles

(via an Annie’s Eats mash-up)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup and 2 Tbsp. graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

½ Tbsp. cocoa powder

15 fresh blackberries, pureed

Coating:

16 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted

Decoration:

Melted white chocolate tinted with purple food coloring (they make an amazing four pack of neon-colored hues)

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, graham crackers, confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder. Blend until smooth. Fold in the blackberry puree.

If you dislike the seeds in blackberries, run the puree through a mesh sieve.

Chill the mixture until firm – an hour or two. Mold portions of the mixture into 1 inch balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until very hard – at least an hour. Dip the balls into the melted chocolate and chill. You’ll know they’re ready for decoration when their finish is dull, no longer moist and shiny. I used a pastry bag and decorative tip to put the flower shape atop each truffle. Chill slightly before serving.