Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Truffles Food

MADAGASCAR BOURBON VANILLA, BOURBON EXTRACT

Steps:

• Combine ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid.
• Cover jar and let stand 4 weeks.
• Mixture will turn amber colored in a day or two.
• Shake every couple days and store out of direct light and heat.
• When bottle is 1/4 full add three to four more beans and more alcohol. Let stand for another week before using. Seeds may float in the syrupy liquid but unless you are giving the finished product as a gift, don't remove them-they only add to the flavor. Use one-forth to one-third the amount called for in most recipes as this has a very strong vanilla flavor. The vanilla beans are good as long as they have a vanilla scent. When they have lost their scent, discard and replace with fresh beans. The beans can be removed from the alcohol and scraped or chopped and use them in recipes in place of the extract if you want a strong vanilla flavor.

CHOCOLATE-BOURBON TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Set a stainless steel mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water to make a double boiler. Put chocolate, cream and salt in bowl and heat until chocolate is completely melted, about 15 minutes.
• Add vanilla and bourbon and whisk thoroughly, until mixture is smooth and shiny. Pour into a pie plate or baking dish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Use a melon baller or soup spoon to make rough 1/2-ounce spheres. Roll between cocoa-dusted palms, then in crushed nuts. Refrigerate, but don't serve them ice cold; remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving.