Chocolate Truffles

Every year I bake something for Christmas to give out as gifts to friends. However this year, my oven broke :( so I had to come up with something that didn't involve baking. I decided to try out truffles, I'd been meaning to try making it for the longest time but kept procrastinating becasue most of the recipes I found online were fairly complex. I stumbled across this amazingly super simple recipe on naomi-sugarspice, you can check it out here and decided to try it out solely because it only requires 2 ingredients: chocolate and heavy cream.

Instead of using all semi sweet chocolate as the original recipe called, I substituted half the chocolate with good dark chocolate to add that bitterness and wholeness to the truffle. It came out perfectly! And only took less than 20 minutes to make (not including chilling time) and tasted amazing! Rich and chocolatey, it had the same texture as the chocolate filling (the best bit!) inside a Ferrero Rocher chocolate.

The recipe is super easy to remember as well because everything is a 1/2 cup!

Recipe (makes 20 truffles)

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate (chopped)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Optional for rolling

Cocoa powder
Almonds (Chopped)

Equipment
Heat proof bowl
Whisk
Parchment paper
Baking Tray
Two teaspoons
Cloth

Directions
To make the ganache, place your chocolate int he heat proof bowl and put it aside for later. Heat up the whipping cream over medium heat. Don't boil it just heat it till it's hot. As soon as tiny bubbles start to appear, take it off the heat and pour the hot mixture over the chocolate pieces. Gently whisk it till it's smooth. Don't over whisk the mixture or it will split.


Once it's mixed, cover with a plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for about 3 hours till firm.

If you want to roll your truffles in cocoa powder or almonds. Place whole almonds in a zip lock bag and use a rolling pin to smash it up.

Get some little bowls and fill one with cocoa and the other almonds for you to roll your truffles in.

Remove your ganache from the fridge and using two teaspoons mold the chocolate into little balls. It won't come out perfectly the first time especially if you live in a humid country like I do, as the ganache tends to melt really quickly. But you can always pop them in the fridge to firm up then reshape them again.

Roll your truffle balls into cocoa or almonds and place them onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Pop them into the fridge to firm up and they are good to go!

I placed the ones that I'm going to give away into tiny little paper cups for easy packaging.

Casual glitter

Glitter and sequins don't always have to be overly glamorous. Here are some interesting ways to incorporate some subtle sparkle to your everyday wear for a fun and modern look.

Sequined skirt with a comfy sweater

Image: http://classy-inthecity.com/

Pair a sequined top with a pair of khaki pants for a casual day to night look 

Image: wendyslookbook

Glitter bustier paired with high waisted pants

Image from: fashforfashion.com

Embellished Skirt with a Jersey T-Shirt

Neutral colour palate with a splash of sparkle

Glitter and plaids for a quirky twist

Sparkly statement necklace with soft sheer top

Casual Fridays: Glitter Flats

Embellish an old knit sweater with a sequined elbow patch

A Menagerie

I love animal shaped objects/prints. 

Blissful bear pencil holder

Unicorn Porcelain Brooch

Anthropologie squirrel tape dispenser

Porcelain bunny ring

Rhino trinket boxes by Karl Zahn

DIY: Glitter Heels

The festive season is in full swing, and the parties have been coming in thick and fast. I was looking for a fun pair of shoes but couldn't really find one that was quite right/budget friendly. I'm a sucker for glittery goodies during the festive season and I was especially inspired by Kate Spade's New York Licorice Too Pumps in Multi Glitter. Super perfect to wear out for dinner or cocktails or even pair it down with a pair of jeans and a fun top for that everyday whimsy. 

But at USD $350 it was a little too steep to splash on out a pair of shoes I'll only be wearing for Christmas. 

I had an old pair of really comfy pumps lying about and it's outer layer was peeling so I thought instead of chucking it out why not cover it in glitter! 

Supplies
Old pair of heels
Masking Tape
Acrylic Paint (any colour)
Multicoloured Glitter (I bought individual packets so I could mix my own)
Any white glue or Mod Podge (I used a mix of Elmer's and Carpenter Glue)
Sponge

1. Masking tape the sides and peel off the outer layer 

2. Prime the surface with acrylic paint.

I had completely forgotten that I had bought these sponge applicator paints from Ikea a while back.  

3. Mix up the white glue and glitter together!

3. Apply glue and glitter mix in even strokes with a sponge. I did mine in sections and applied 3 layers, waiting approx 10-15 minutes for each layer to dry.

3. Leave overnight to dry and peel of masking tape after. 

4. Fill in the side bits with acrylic paint. 

And you are done!

I really love them, the best part about it is it's so comfortable! Because it's an old pair of shoes upcycled I don't have to go through the whole process of breaking into it and suffering painful feet all night long.  

I feel a little bit like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz when wearing them.

This was a super quick and fun DIY to do. I did it in one night, not counting drying time. The only problem is my room was covered in glitter for days! And I'm still discovering glitter in the oddest places!

FACT!

Have fun!