Valentine’s treats for

Easy Chocolate Truffles

Marta Skuza, a sophomore political science and history major and native of Poland has experimented with alcohol and energy drinks in the past.

“I started because I didn’t know it wasn’t safe,” Skuza said. “You don’t feel the alcohol, and it does give a pretty good taste.”

Because of the popularity of the alcohol mixture, specifically with Red Bull, the company actually issued a statement on the issue.

“We say clearly on the label it’s not to be mixed with alcohol,” Jim Bailey, vice president of marketing for Red Bull Canada, said, according to cbc.ca. “How the consumer sort of adapts or interprets the product is in their hands.”

Because of the absence of caffeine, the safest of energy drinks to mix alcohol with would be Gatorade.

“Gatorade is the safest choice to mix alcohol with, because it has no caffeine,” Fitzgerald said. “The real danger is because of the caffeine.”

Despite the dangers and clear warning signs, the trend is not likely to stop overnight.

“I think that Red Bull mixed with vodka is a great combination,” Maria McGuigan, a senior elementary and special education major, said. “It just gives a good taste.”

Skuza however cautions, “It is definitely something that you have to be careful with.”

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INGREDIENTS:

* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed

* 2 tablespoons white sugar

* 2 tablespoons orange liqueur

* 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

* 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped

* 1 drop red food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

1. Process berries in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain mixture into a small bowl, and discard seeds. Add the sugar and liqueur, and stir until sugar dissolves. Makes 1 cup of sauce.

2. In a heavy saucepan on low heat, warm 1/4 cup of the cream and the white chocolate, stirring constantly until chocolate melts. Let mixture cool until it is lukewarm. Stir in 1 tablespoon of raspberry sauce, and the food coloring. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, whip remaining 1 1/2 cup cream to soft peaks. Fold into melted chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, until no streaks remain.

4. Layer into parfait dishes, and serve with the sauce. May also be used to fill or ice a cake.

INGREDIENTS:

* 8 ounces good-quality semi- or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

* 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

* 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat chocolates, butter and milk in a pan until chocolates and butter are partially melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Whisk in desired flavoring until creamy-smooth.

2. Transfer to a bowl and let stand until firm enough to hold its shape, about 2 hours.

3. Using a tablespoon, mold chocolate into balls, 1 level Tb. at a time, and place on a cookie sheet lined with greased parchment paper.

4. Place desired coating in a small bowl. Working one at a time, drop truffles into the bowl with greased fingertips. Shake bowl back and forth so truffles are completely coated. If necessary, roll truffles by hand to make round. Return to parchment. Before serving, let stand at room temperature to soften slightly.

Recipes gathered from allrecipes.com by Brittany Lavin/Features editor