Boozy Baileys Chocolate Truffles

Decadent. Boozy. And Oh-so chocolatey. A batch of Baileys truffles is always a good idea this time of year!

Homemade truffles have always been a part of our festive baking ever since I was a kid. We always made this coffee, crushed biscuit, cocoa, and condensed milk concoction. Remember that episode of Friends when Phoebe and Monica try to make Phoebe’s grandmother’s famous chocolate chip cookie only to find out that the recipe was from the back of a Nestle chocolate chip packet?! I feel those original truffles could have a similar origin:) As tasty as they were, I always thought that they could be better. And when I say better, I mean, let’s up the decadence, add a splash of alcohol, and use only damn good ingredients.

Here’s why you are going to LOVE these Baileys Irish Cream Truffles

They are SO easy! The secret to homemade chocolate truffles is quality ingredients. Don’t skimp on good chocolate – it can make or break truffles.

I love a good truffle recipe, don’t you? And sometimes you need a little indulgence in the fridge that the kids can’t touch! Am I right?! Well, what could be better than a Baileys truffle?

They can be made in advance. Days in advance in fact. They’re a delicious treat over the festive season or around St Patrick’s Day. Or to have sitting in the fridge for when you really need a chocolate hit! My Homemade Baileys truffles also make a great homemade Christmas gift, for those impromptu guests over the holidays.

Here’s what you need to get started

• Raw blanched hazelnuts. If yours don’s come blanched, that’s ok. You’ll just have to rub off the hazelnuts skins with a tea towel while they are still warm.
  
  
  
• Arnotts Marie biscuits. If you don’t live in Australia or can’t get your hands on Marie biscuits, a vanilla-flavored tea biscuit will work as well.
  
  
  
• Dutch cocoa. Never compromise on quality Dutch cocoa when making truffles. It’s the best and other is no substitute.
  
  
  
• Dark bittersweet couverture chocolate. 54% couverture is ideal. I use Lindt dark chocolate buttons or Callebaut chocolate chips, however, any quality bittersweet chocolate will work.
  
  
  
• Thickened or heavy cream
  
  
  
• Condensed milk
  
  
  
• Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur. I use the original Bailey’s. However, Bailey’s now comes in a ton of new flavors. Feel free to experiment with different chocolate truffle combinations!

Variations

Don’t like Bailey’s? Switch up the alcohol flavor. Try Kahlua, Tia Maria, or even your favorite Irish whisky.

Instead of rolling the truffles in Dutch cocoa, you could try shredded coconut or roasted hazelnuts instead. Roast some extra hazelnuts, let them cool before crushing them, and roll the truffles in the crushed hazelnuts.


Hazelnuts could also be substituted for other nuts, like almonds.

How to make Bailey’s Chocolate Truffles

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
   
   
   
2. Pop the hazelnuts in a roasting pan and pop in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
   
   
   
3. In a food processor pulse the Marie biscuits, dutch cocoa, and roasted hazelnuts until they are finely ground.
   
   
   
4. In a separate bowl, melt the chocolate in 30-second bursts in your microwave until glossy and melted. Don’t forget to stir in between so it doesn’t burn.
   
   
   
5. Add the cream to the melted chocolate and stir to fully incorporate.
   
   
   
6. Add the Bailey’s and condensed milk to the chocolate/cream mixture and again, stir to fully incorporate. At any point during this process if your chocolate starts to harden and is not shiny and glossy, just pop it back into the microwave for 10-20 seconds. The chocolate ganache will then re-melt. Just stir and keep going.
   
   
   
7. Add the chocolate mixture to the ground hazelnut/biscuits. Fold through thoroughly.
   
   
   
8. Pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
   
   
   
9. Scoop out bite-size pieces of truffle mixture. Roll between both hands until you get a round, ball-shaped truffle. Roll the Bailey’s truffles in Dutch cocoa.
   
   
   
10. Pop in a lidded container and dust with a  little extra Dutch cocoa so the chocolate balls don’t stick together.
    
    
    
11. Pop all the truffles back into the fridge until ready to eat.

Equipment

The quickest way to make these Bailey’s Irish cream truffles is with a food processor. My Magimix food processor grinds up biscuits and nuts in under a minute. Alternatively, you could also smash up the ingredients with a rolling pin.

A melon baller is the perfect size and will give the most consistent results when making chocolate truffles. If you are not worried about consistency, a teaspoon will do just fine!

Storage

Store the truffle balls in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Like these Bailey’s chocolate truffles? Here are a few more sweet treats you might like.

• Baked Biscoff Cheesecake Slice (Speculoos cheesecake bars)
• Chocolate Chip Banana Brownies
• A Mid-Summer Raspberry Eton Mess
• Baked Apple and Pecan French Toast Pudding
• White Chocolate Rocky Road – The Irishman’s Wife (theirishmanswife.com)

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