Spiked with Grand Marnier and Frangelico, these whimsical, boozy little truffles are a festive treat for the holidays. Unrefined cane sugar and chestnut honey bring sweetness to ground hazelnuts, while cocoa and orange zest give them a deep flavor. Chestnut honey, rich and dark with chocolate undertones, lends a wonderful depth of flavor to these truffles. I purchase chestnut honey online and use it sparingly, only for special treats. If you cannot find it, you can use any honey available to you locally.
powdered sugarfor dredging the Chocolate Hazelnut Snowballs
Instructions
Dump the hazelnuts and orange zest into a food processor and process until very finely ground.
Pour sugar, honey and water into a saucepan set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Allow it to bubble and foam, stirring continuously, for 6 minutes, or until all the sugar granules dissolve completely and the mixture thickens to a foamy syrup. Turn off the heat.
Pour the still hot sugar syrup over the ground hazelnuts, close up the food processor, and process for two to three minutes. Continue processing, and pour the Frangelico, Grand Marnier and hazelnut extract into the food processor's feeder tube one tablespoon at a time or until the mixture thins and becomes slightly liquid. Dump in the cocoa powder, and continue processing a further 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture becomes completely smooth and uniform.
Transfer the sweetened and seasoned hazelnut mixture into a bowl, cover it tightly, and refrigerate overnight, 8 to 12 hours.
Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and scoop out 1 tablespoon of the hazelnut mixture, form into a ball and dredge it in confectioner's sugar or cocoa powder. Continue working until you've exhausted the batter. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and serve chilled.