Sweet Pumpkin Treats!

Now that it is fall, the air is getting colder and everyone is getting back to school. I'm glad to say that it is officially pumpkin season! Time for pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin smoothies and everything else pumpkin. If you can't tell already I love pumpkin, so when I found this recipe I instantly knew I was going to have to make them. I originally found this recipe on pinterest. When I read over the ingredients and instructions I knew it was a good recipe and I came up with some helpful hints and tricks for you that will make this recipe fool proof.  Here is what you will need and how to make a perfect pumpkin spice truffle.

What you will need for the truffle:

2 oz of cream cheese

2Tbs of powdered sugar

1/3 c of pumpkin puree

1 3/4c crushed graham crackers

1/2 tsp pumpkin spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 oz of melted white chocolate

What you will need for dipping:

10oz of milk or white chocolate (which ever you prefer)

(possibly a tsp. or 2 of shortening or coconut oil to thin out the chocolate)

For a garnish crushed graham crackers or cinnamon and sugar

Steps:

1. With a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix cream cheese and powdered sugar together until creamy.

2.  Add in the pumpkin puree to the cream cheese mixture and mix until combined and forms a nice pale orange color.

3. Add in the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, crushed graham cracker crumbs (Tip: make sure that there are no large chunks in the graham crackers so there are no major crunches in the finished truffles) mix until combined.

4.  Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler (Tip: if it is not melting correctly or looks to thick you can add a half tsp. of shortening or coconut oil to thin it out). When melted, add to stand mixer and mix until fully combined.

5.  Cover the bowl and let chill in the  fridge for at least 2 hours (I left mine overnight) YOU MUST CHILL!

Tip Longer is better when you're chilling truffles.

6.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and remove pumpkin mixture from the fridge. Using a 1oz baller, scoop pumpkin mix onto hands and roll until perfectly round and place all balls on parchment paper and chill again for another

2 hours at least.( Again I left mine overnight)

7.  After your pumpkin mixture has been

rolled into balls and has chilled for the second time it is time to melt the chocolate in a double boiler (Tip:  Again if the chocolate is very thick you can add shortening or coconut oil to it to thin it out, 1/2 tsp at a time.) Then you can start dipping your truffles.

Tip:  (My original plan was to use milk chocolate for the coating, but when i went to melt the chips in my double boiler they seized up on me and got all hard and stiff. I ended up using semi sweet chocolate because it is easier to melt and work with.)

8)After dipping your truffles place them in another baking sheet lined with parchment paper and garnish with crushed graham crackers or crushed nuts and let set.

Tip:   When dipping the truffles make sure to get all of the excess chocolate off by lightly tapping them on the side of the pan so you don't have chocolate pools under your truffles.

Tip:   I used crushed graham crackers and added about a 1/4 tsp of pumpkin spice to about 1/2 C of crushed graham crackers just to give it a little extra pumpkin flavor.

If you have followed me through this semi long, but very rewarding process you know how delicious these little pumpkin spice truffles are!  You will also find that this recipe is very simple and easy to master.  I hope you guys have fun making these at home and hope you enjoy them as much as I did.