Chestnut Chocolate Truffles

These are from a cookbook on low-calorie cooking. They became a staple because they use real whole-food ingredients and do not wear their “low calorie” designation on their sleeve. They taste like a slightly creamier chocolate truffle. Chances are, if you ever sat at our kitchen table for a chat, she’d bring out a container of these to impress your taste buds and challenge you to guess how they were made.

INGREDIENTS ¼ lb (18-20) roasted chestnuts (you can often find vacuum sealed packages of these) ½ c evaporated skim milk 1/3 vanilla bean 2 ½ oz semisweet chocolate, chopped 1 T Karo syrup 2-3 T cognac, like Courvoisier Pinch salt 5 T good cocoa

DIRECTIONS Simmer chestnuts in ½ c water until water is evaporated, about 15 minutes. Stir in milk and seeds scraped from vanilla bean; toss in bean. Simmer covered until chestnuts are very soft. Remove bean. Add chocolate and Karo; let chocolate melt.

Puree in food processor until very smooth. Add cognac and process one minute more. Transfer to bowl and chill covered until mixture is firm. Use a teaspoon to form small balls; roll in cocoa. Store in refrigerator.