Winter Solstice & Tino’s Truffles

Today is the Solstice, the shortest day of the year. It is a day I try to stay mindful of. From this day forward there will be a few extra moments of light at the end of the day. It is a turning point and that is something to be aware of. I think it is a good thing to stay aware of points were changes happen in the natural world, it helps us stay connected to our source.

The ancient had rituals for these times and out of those rituals grew the traditions that many of us continue to this day. I’m not prone to lots of Christmas decorations and all the brouhaha that some people thrive on over the holidays but I am glad other people do them. It is a sweet reminder of our ancient selves.

Yesterday I mailed off the last of my Christmas gifts that are going elsewhere. The shawls, complete with Leslie’s beautiful pins, are flying through the air thanks to the USPS reindeer – along with other treasures. Most of my gifts are handmade which is a tradition that I value. Other than that I give a lot of books – naturally.

Last night I stopped at Trader Joe’s to pick up the last things I need to finish making my gifts and tonight I’ll celebrate the Winter Solstice by making my father’s favorite treat, handmade chocolates that I call Tino’s Truffles, after him.

I don’t know where this recipe originated, it is one of those things that has gone through many evolutions throughout time and always seems to get better and better. I’m not a great cook – I can’t remember when the last time was that I baked anything – but I make these chocolates every year and mostly for the men in my life. Even though women have a reputation for craving chocolate (my sister Lisa claims there are times in the month when she would pay $10 for a Hershey’s Kiss), I’ve yet to meet a man who didn’t go nuts for these. I make scarves and shawls and bath products for the women I love but the men get these chocolates.

Now the trick to all of this is using the best ingredients that you can find. It isn’t a cheap operation but I only do it once a year so I try to do it right. I started out using grocery store chocolate chips many years ago but now I prefer Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 70% Dark Chocolate from Belgium – it is not expensive at all and is fabulous. So this is how Tino’s Truffles are made:

Brew a small pot of very strong, very good coffee. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a glass bowl over a pan of hot water. As it melts stir in 4 ounces of the strong coffee. When the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and add 4 ounces of excellent bourbon. Stir well until the mixture begins to cool a bit. As it cools stir in two sticks of the best quality, unsalted butter that you can find. Make sure the butter is at room temperature.

In a blender or food processor, pulverize enough ginger snaps to make a cup of crumbs. I’ve used all kinds of ginger snaps over the years and, once again, like Trader Joe’s the best. They are very spicy and “gingery”. Fold the crumbs into the chocolate. Add any extras you like – raisins and walnuts are good – but the chocolates are delicious plain. Put good powdered cocoa in a soup bowl, stir in some cinnamon, and scoop the chocolate mixture out with two teaspoons, pat it into a ball and roll it around in the powdered mix. Set on wax paper or place in little paper candy cups. When all are ready, put them in the fridge to chill but let them come to room temp before serving.

For me a good deal of the fun of this project is finding the ingredients – stopping at a gourmet shop to check out their cinnamon and raisins, the trip to Trader Joe’s. I think that these chocolates are a lot like all of life for me – it is the little extra additions of love that makes it so delicious.

Thanks for reading.