DIY Manhattan Cocktail Chocolate Truffles—My Latest On Freutcake!

I'm telling you guys, it's a shame Leah Bergman of Freutcake doesn't live in New York! We had the best time during our cyber Valentine's Day party—on YouTube!—this weekend with Marisa Mangum and she totally inspires me to make smarter, cuter, tinier (boozier?) recipes. 


My latest creation: Manhattan Cocktail Chocolate Truffles for your boo! They're a sweet nod to date-night. Boyfriend and I love meeting for drinks at old-school New York bars after work, so I transformed a favorite order of ours into an easy, edible DIY gift. 

You can totally pull off this recipe with only 5 ingredients: Chocolate, heavy cream, rye, vermouth and maraschino cherries. If you're willing to splurge on a few extras—it's Valentine's Day after all—you can make these truffles even better with a few dashes of angostura bitters and a quick roll in good-quality cocoa powder.

Cocktail nerds, this one's for you! I think homemade gifts for guys can be tricky—most DIY projects skew too precious and girlie—but candy inspired by a classic cocktail is totally dude-friendly! For more tips and info, head over to Freutcake, or snag the super simple recipe below...

MANHATTAN COCKTAIL TRUFFLES
MAKES: about 20

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons rye whiskey
1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons sweet vermouth
18 to 20 maraschino cherries, stems removed

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
6 dashes angostura bitters
Cocoa powder, for dusting

1. Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the heavy cream to another microwave-safe bowl and microwave on High until boiling, about 2 minutes. Pour over the chocolate; let side 5 minutes, then stir until melted. (Still lumpy? Microwave 30 more seconds until chocolate melts completely). Stir in 1 tablespoon rye, 2 teaspoons sweet vermouth and 3 dashes angostura bitters, if using. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, put the remaining 2 tablespoons rye, 1 tablespoon sweet vermouth, 3 dashes angostura bitters, if using, and maraschino cherries in a small bowl. Let soak 1 hour; drain and pat dry.

3. For each truffle, mold a small spoonful of chocolate mixture around 1 cherry, smoothing to cover completely; roll between your hands to form a ball. Roll in cocoa powder, if using. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to package and serve.