Nipples of Venus (Capezzoli di Venere)

Surprise your Valentine with Chef John's Italian truffles made with dark chocolate, chestnuts, and brandy, and coated in white chocolate.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 169 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 14 ounces whole chestnuts
• 2 teaspoons milk, or as needed
• paper candy cups
• 1 drop red food coloring, or more as needed
• 0.33333334326744 cup white sugar
• 0.25 cup brandy
• 0.33333334326744 cup confectioners' sugar

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cream sugar and butter together with a spatula until light and creamy. Set aside.

Step 2

Heat an inch of water in a pot set over low heat. Melt dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl placed over the pot. Stir with a small spatula.

Step 3

Place chestnuts in a food processor; pulse on and off until very finely ground. Add chestnuts to the sugar-butter mixture and stir until combined. Add salt, cayenne pepper, vanilla extract, and brandy. Stir well. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix again until filling is well blended.

Step 4

Scoop filling onto a silicone-lined baking sheet and smooth out if necessary. Cover the balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the white chocolate coating.

Step 5

Reserve about 20% of the white chocolate to stir in later. Melt the rest in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water until an instant-read thermometer inserted in to the chocolate reads 105 degree F (41 degrees C). Add the reserved white chocolate and stir until melted.

Step 6

Place 1 chocolate truffle on a fork and hold it up above the white chocolate coating. Spoon on the white chocolate until ball is well coated. Use another fork to push the truffle onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles and coating. Place the bowl of coating back over hot water if it chocolate starts to harden.

Step 7

Mix confectioners' sugar with enough milk to make a very thick paste that will hold together well. Dye it pink with red food coloring. Transfer into a piping bag and pipe a small dot on top of each truffle. Serve truffles in paper candy cups.