Dark Chocolate Truffle Squares

This was an experiment in making truffles that went wrong, but ended up tasting really good!  The "wrong" part is why they are squares instead of balls.  It was a little soft when I made it, so it was easier to just cut it into squares instead of trying to roll it into balls.  That being said, the softness makes the consistency nice.  Plus, this is easier than other truffle recipes in that you don't need to double boil the chocolate.   Have fun and experiment with different flavors!

Ingredients

8 oz. dark chocolate (I use 72% dark from Trader Joe's)

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/8 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp flavor of your choice (optional- examples include vanilla essence, almond essence, amaretto, etc.)

Directions

1.  Cut the chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave safe bowl.

2.  Heat the whipping cream to almost boiling (you'll see tiny bubbles that look like froth form on the sides).

3.  Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is uniform.  If there are still lumps in it, you can microwave for 10 seconds and stir again.

4.  While the chocolate is still hot, add the butter and mix it in until it's uniform and without lumps. If there are still lumps in it, you can microwave for 10 seconds and stir again.

5.  Place a wax paper in a 7 x 5 inch glass container so that it cover the bottom and sides.  Pour the mixture in and refrigerate until it hardens (2-3 hours).  Once it is firm, remove it from the fridge and cut it into ~1/2 inch squares.

6.  Put the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl.  Toss a few pieces at a time until they are well coated.  Shake off the excess cocoa powder.

7.  You can store them in the refrigerator if you want to, but serve them at room temperature.