After the mixture comes together, I use my cookie scoop to portion little balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. I’ve made the mistake of trying to roll these too soon when the mixture is warm—don’t do that. Give them at least 20 minutes in the fridge so they firm up and don’t stick to your palms. Once chilled, I roll each one smooth and pop them back into the fridge. Meanwhile, I melt the green candy melts slowly. Twice now I’ve overheated them and turned them gritty, so melt low and stir often.
When the candy melts are silky and ready, I dip each truffle using a fork, tapping off excess coating before setting it back onto the tray. I always keep the red heart sprinkles within reach because the coating hardens quickly, and you only get a few seconds to place the heart right in the center. It always makes me smile how that tiny red heart turns a simple truffle into something straight out of Whoville.
For the mints, I cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the peppermint extract and green coloring. The real workout comes when adding the powdered sugar—I always start slow because I’ve made the mistake of turning the mixer on too high and covering my entire kitchen in a blizzard of sugar. Once the dough is stiff like play-dough, I pinch off small pieces, roll them into balls, press them gently with a fork, and finish each one with another red heart. They look adorable lining the tray next to the truffles, like little Grinchy buttons.
Pro Tips for Best Results
I tested the truffle dip three different ways—cold centers, frozen centers, and room-temperature centers—and the frozen ones always dipped the cleanest. If you want perfectly smooth truffles, slide the tray into the freezer for 10 minutes before dipping. It makes the chocolate coat beautifully without cracking.
Another tip: don’t rush the melting process. The candy melts behave differently than regular chocolate, and they scorch fast. I always melt mine at 50% power in the microwave, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds. The moment it’s mostly melted, I stop heating and let the residual warmth finish the job. It keeps the mixture glossy and smooth.
When it comes to the mints, don’t add all the powdered sugar at once. The dough might feel too sticky early on, but it pulls together with patience. I’ve added too much sugar before, and the result tasted chalky instead of creamy. Add until it’s moldable but still soft—that’s the sweet spot.
Lastly, place your heart sprinkle immediately after shaping each piece. I tried garnishing them all at once once, and half of them dried before I could get the hearts to stick. Now I just press each one in as I go, and it saves so much frustration.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest mistake I made early on was using cold cream cheese. It creates little lumps that won’t blend into the cookie crumbs, and no amount of mixing seems to fix it. Always let your cream cheese soften completely; otherwise, the texture will be grainy.
Another common slip-up is overheating the candy melts. I know I’ve already warned you, but seriously—it’s the easiest way to ruin the coating. Once it seizes, there’s no saving it. Heat low and slow, and don’t walk away, even for a minute.(See the next page below to continue…)