Orange and Maple Cream Truffles

These homemade filled chocolates were my raffle item at the family picnic this year. 

Yes, they were as good as they looked.

I made two varieties.  The one that is dusted with confectionary sugar had an orange cream center and the walnut topped candy is maple cream filled.

The recipe is what I adapted from a peppermint patty recipe that I use at Christmas.

Cream Filled Truffles

1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened

1 bag of confectionary sugar

2 bags of chocolate chips, I prefer dark

Extract/oil of your preferred flavor (I obviously had orange and maple extracts in the cupboard but peppermint obviously works as would a bunch of others.. if you use orange you can throw in some orange zest too.)

Food Coloring if preferred

1 Tbsp shortening

Blend the cream cheese and the powdered sugar together, and then blend in extract a few drops at a time until the flavor is as strong as you prefer.  Then add a few drops of food coloring to make it look like the flavor that it is. 

When it's all well blended and flavored, roll the mixture into bite size balls.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour. 

Then combine the chocolate chips and shortening and either melt in a double boiler, or microwave for thirty seconds at a time, stirring in between until smooth and melted. 

Dip each ball of filling into the chocolate  until covered and place on wax paper.  Then you can either refrigerate them as is, or top them with crushed nuts, sprinkles, etc. 

Keep refrigerated, and try not to eat them all yourself.  Seriously, they're that good.