Welcome to The Storied Recipe! This Easy Christmas Truffle Recipe comes from my podcast guest, Alexandra Taylor. Make sure you listen to her episode, Christmas in Norway, as you make these Norwegian Chocolate Peppermint Balls!
Alexandra's homemade Christmas Truffles were her favorite festive treat as a child. Her no bake recipe is the *perfect* project to do at home!
These chocolate mint balls are a no bake recipe, making them easy to throw together at the last minute for a holiday party or Christmas gift!
Jump to:
- Alexandra's Memories of Norwegian Peppermint Chocolate Balls for Chrsitmas
- Listen to Alexandra's Episode: Christmas in Norway
- Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
- Easy Instructions
- Simple Ingredients
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storage
- More Scandinavian Recipes
- Favorite Christmas Desserts Around the World
- Recipe
Alexandra's Memories of Norwegian Peppermint Chocolate Balls for Chrsitmas
I learned to make this treat from my mother in the house where I grew up. My brothers and I would, of course, cheat a little and eat some of the dough while we were rolling the balls in preparation for rolling them in chocolate and coconut. It was a messy job and we took full advantage of all the goodness stuck to our hands.
My mother would store them in the extra refrigerator in the garage and we’d sneak out and steal one from time to time leading up to Christmas. We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve and would go to church, have a big feast with a pork roast with scored fat as the guest of honor, and opened presents while enjoying coffee and baked treats.
Listen to Alexandra's Episode: Christmas in Norway
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
What do these Chocolate Peppermint Balls look like inside?
The inside is a smooth, white, soft, creamy mixture that holds its shape when cut. You're welcome to add a little green food coloring to give that peppermint visual cue, although I happen to think the white is perfect for high-end, elegant truffles.
A few years ago, my mother told me she’d have to make an extra batch after we’d gone to bed to hide away so we’d actually have some left for Christmas eve. Mamma’s know everything 😊
Easy Instructions
- Prepare Truffle Mixture:
- Combine flour and cream, heat until hot but not overcooked.
- Knead with powdered sugar, cream of tartar, peppermint extract, and food coloring until smooth.
- Shape Truffle Balls:
- Use hands to roll identical-sized chunks into smooth balls.
- Melt Chocolate on stovetop or in microwave.
- Decorate Truffles:
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet or under a wire rack.
- Coat truffle balls in melted chocolate using spoons or toothpicks.
- Sprinkle with edible Christmas decorations.
I’m in a hurry, can these be made in a pan instead of being rolled into balls?
Wow, that's a good question I hadn't considered! The inside is so soft, they really need to be encased in a hard chocolate shell. I wouldn't recommend making them in a pan. But if you try, let me know how it goes!
What's the easiest way to get the chocolate coating onto my truffles?
Spoon Method: Alexandra uses a spoon to drop the ball in chocolate, roll it around a bit, then take it out.
- Its easy to coat the entire peppermint ball using this method, but it can be a little tricky to get the excess chocolate off.
- Also, sometimes extra chocolate comes off the spoon when depositing on the peppermint balls onto your surface.
Toothpick Method: Some people like to use toothpicks to pop the chocolate in and roll it around a little bit.
- I think its easier to get an even chocolate layer without as much waste with this method.
- However, you will have a hole in your truffle from the toothpick.
- Also, you are always risking dropping the peppermint ball into the chocolate, which puts you back at the first method anyhow.
Whichever way you use, it's a good idea to put wax paper or parchment paper under a rack to catch any excess drip.
How long will it these to set at room temperature?
Allow an hour for the chocolate to set around the Christmas truffles at room temperature (around 65-70 degrees).
Simple Ingredients
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Flour
- Cream of Tartar
- Powdered Sugar (Icing sugar)
- Chocolate
Optional Ingredients
- Shredded Coconut (this is what Alexandra and her family traditionally used in Norway)
- Flavoring: Peppermint extracts, vanilla extract, rum, or any Christmas spirit of your choice
- Christmas decorations: Crushed candy canes, green sprinkles, red sprinkles, festive jimmies, other festive sprinkles
How much peppermint flavor should I add?
- This is very much up to personal preference! Always, always keep in mind that you cannot take flavor away, but you can always add!
- Peppermint flavor is one of the strongest you can find and you don't want your truffles to taste like toothpaste.
- Also remember that the flavor will come through more strongly when the truffle mixture has cooled.
- With all that in mind, start with ¼ tsp, taste, and add from there.
Which type of chocolate should I use to coat the Peppermint Chocolate Balls?
- The most important thing is to choose a chocolate YOU love! You can go with your own favorite flavor combination and your favorite chocolate brand.
- Choose milk chocolate for a sweet truffle and a bittersweet or even unsweetened chocolate for dark chocolate mint truffles.
- Alexandra's family always used semisweet.
- Of course, with such a simple recipe, the ingredients truly shine through, so Alexandra would always recommend a good quality chocolate. However, we've used semi-sweet chocolate chips in a pinch, and you can too 😉
- Chocolate melts are also an option. They are the easiest to work with, but also tend to have a "fake" taste.
- White chocolate can be a little harder to work with (it's more prone to seizing), but white chocolate and mint are a classic combination, so feel free to try that at your own risk!
- Candy melts (as their name suggests) melt easily because their ratio of cocoa butter is very high, but they really won't taste like chocolate, so that's a trade-off you can consider for yourself.
- For more tips on choosing a chocolate, check out this post Best Chocolate for Melting from Bake It With Love. See below for melting tips.
Substitutions
Can you substitute other extract flavors in place of the mint?
Sure! They won't be Peppermint Chocolate Truffes, but this technique will work with lots of different extracts.
Variations
Candy cane truffles: Crush a few candy canes and stir in
Boozy Christmas Chocolate Truffles: add 1 tablespoon of rum or any other liqueur to mixture
Equipment
- Parchment paper and cooling racks for
- Double boiler or heatproof pot and smooth mixing bowl for melting chocolate.
Storage
How long do you need to refrigerate the peppermint truffles?
Actually, you don't need to refrigerate them at all! Alexandra's mother always left them out throughout the Christmas season (except for the ones she hid in a place Alexandra has yet to discover! 😉 If you want to accelerate the cooling process for the chocolate, you can, but keep it in mind, that will make the chocolate a little less shiny.
How long can I store these?
Alexandra has memories of enjoying these all Advent season - and her mother even left them at room temperature in a Waterford crystal vase. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for quite a long time, up to a month.
More Scandinavian Recipes
Favorite Christmas Desserts Around the World
Recipe
Easy Christmas Truffles: Chocolate Mint Balls from Norway
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 3/4 cups Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon (scant) Peppermint extract
- 8 oz Chocolate of your choice
- 2 cups Shredded Coconut OR Christmas sprinkles, glitter sugar, or non-pareils
Instructions
MAKE TRUFFLE MIXTURE
- Stir together flour and cream and cook on low heat stirring constantly.
- Cook until hot to the touch then remove from stove. Don’t overcook the base, but heat just enough to get the flour taste cooked out.
- Knead with powdered sugar and mix in cream of tartar and peppermint extract (enough to make a smooth dough out of the mixture). Use food coloring, add this now also.
MAKE TRUFFLE BALLS
- If you want these to be really precise, use a small cookie scoop or a scale to measure out chunks of identical size or weight.
- Use the palms of your hands to roll each chunk into a smooth ball.
- Place on large baking sheet to cool.
MELT CHOCOLATE
- Microwave option: Use a microwave-safe bowl that is 100% dry. Any moisture will put the chocolate at risk of seizing. Heat in 20 second increments and stir thoroughly between each increment. The final melt will often happen while stirring.
- Melt on stove - Add chocolate to a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of water. Bring the water to boiling over medium heat, then turn it down to low. Stir the chocolate constantly until melted and smooth.
DECORATE TRUFFLES
- Roll each truffle ball in melted chocolate using spoons. Alternatively, use a toothpick to dip each truffle in the chocolate.
- Sprinkle flaked coconut on each
Notes
- Don't forget to listen to Alexandra's captivating stories of Christmas in Norway along with the rest of the Christmas Around the World series on The Storied Recipe Podcast!
- Don’t overcook the base, but heat just enough to get the flour taste cooked out.
Would love to hear from you!