Jasmine Chocolate Truffles

Jasmine green tea is my absolute favorite beverage in the world. Not only do I love the taste, but the smell is amazing and never fails to make me happy. I wanted to try to bake something using this tea, and I luckily found a recipe on Rachael Ray's site for jasmine tea infused chocolate truffles. Delicious!! DAVIDsTEA provided me with their butterfly jasmine green {thanks guys!!} so the quality of these truffles was the best I could possibly make. :) They are very rich chocolate with a hint of jasmine scent and flavor, and they were fantastic.

Jasmine Tea Infused Chocolate Truffles

makes about 20 truffles

recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

ingredients...

• 6-8 ounces finely chopped good quality semisweet chocolate (Ghiradelli is good!)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• a pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup DAVIDsTEA jasmine butterfly green tea leaves 
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• unsweetened cocoa powder {for the coating}
• coating chocolate melts {for the coating, optional}
• silver luster dust {for decoration, optional}

directions...

1. in a medium bowl, place 6 ounces of the finely chopped chocolate, butter and a pinch of salt.
   
   
2. in a small saucepan on the stove, bring the water and tea to a boil. then strain into a bowl, pressing on the leaves to extract as much liquid as you can.
3. return the brewed tea to the saucepan and add the heavy cream. bring just to a boil.
4. pour the tea & cream over the chocolate mixture in the bowl and whisk until smooth.
5. if the mixture looks too thin, add the other 2 ounces of chocolate and whisk until thicker.
6. let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.
7. after the chocolate has cooled, shape teaspoonfuls into balls.
8. you can roll them in the cocoa powder and then sprinkle some silver luster dust on for one coating option. this lets the jasmine flavor come through stronger.
9. for the second coating option, you can coat them in more chocolate. to do this, put some of the coating chocolates in a saucepan on the stove and heat on medium-low, stirring until the chocolate becomes liquid. then dip the truffles in the chocolate until coated and sprinkle with luster dust. you won't be able to taste the jasmine as much this way.
10. top with a butterfly tea leave if desired.
11. indulge!!!