Christmas truffles

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat resistant bowl. I recommend cutting the chocolate pieces quite small, so they will melt more easily.

Heat the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Just when you see the first bubbles, remove it from the heat and pour it over the chopped chocolate. This step is important because the hot cream will help melt the chocolate without burning it.

Let the mixture stand for one minute, then start mixing gently with a spatula until you obtain a smooth and shiny chocolate ganache.

Add the butter and continue mixing until fully integrated. The butter will give our truffles that special shine and softer texture.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for about 2 hours or until firm enough to form the truffles.

With the help of a spoon or an ice cream scoop, take portions of the chocolate mixture and roll between the palms of your hands to form small balls. Doing this quickly to prevent the truffles from melting from the heat of your hands is one of the tricks I've learned.

Dip the chocolate balls in the cocoa powder or toppings of your choice and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.