Speculoos Whiskey-Ginger Truffles featuring Templeton Rye

It's been 9 {almost 10} long months of soberness for this gal.  Now that the bun is out of the oven, a whole new world of cocktails and spirit-infused goodies are back on my radar. {That is, with some careful planning between feedings.} Just in time for the holidays, too! Good timing.

When it comes to cocktails, whiskey is my liquor of choice. This often comes as a shock to people because it seems that somewhere along the line the idea of being a whiskey drinker was solely reserved for big, burly men. I'm here to tell you that petite women can be fans, too!

So, I was quite excited when I received an email asking if I was interested in playing around with Templeton Rye Whiskey in a truffle recipe. Um, whiskey AND chocolate?! Yes, please! However, it was while I was still pregnant, so I set the bottle aside and started dreaming up ideas to try out after the little tot arrived.

Fast forward to last week, I finally popped open the bottle of Templeton Rye and went to town with creating boozy confections. The goal: to create a truffle that was perfect for gift giving and spreading holiday cheer. For that, I knew I'd need some flavors that bring to mind images of cozy winter sweaters, crackling fireplaces and twinkling Christmas trees.

Along with the bottle of whiskey, I also received some Simply Organic from Frontier Coop ground ginger and vanilla extract. Both actually fit right in with my truffle idea.

The flavors of floral vanilla and spicy ginger were a fantastic complement to the butterscotch and toffee notes of the whiskey. To give the truffles a little extra zing, I coated them in a fine dusting of cocoa powder and pulverized Speculoos cookies. {I haven't been able to get them off my mind ever since I used them in the crumble topping for this pie.}

These truffles taste like the holidays to me; full of spice and warmth, and of course, concealing a boozy kick.

What flavors would you infuse into your homemade truffles? Cheers to homemade holiday goodies!

Disclosure: I was provided with whiskey, spices and a whisk to use for the creation of this recipe, as well as compensation for purchasing the ingredients. As always, all opinions seen here are my own!

Speculoos Whiskey-Ginger Truffles featuring Templeton Rye

For truffles: 
Scant 1/4 cup heavy cream
1 {3.5 oz} chocolate bar {I used Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa}, roughly chopped
1/8 teaspoon Simply Organic ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Templeton Rye Whiskey

For coating:
About 1/3 cup crushed Speculoos cookies
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


1. Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. In a small microwavable measuring cup, pour just under 1/4 cup heavy cream and heat for about 1 minute on high or until just starting to come to a bubble. Pour hot cream over chocolate.

3. Add ginger, vanilla and whiskey and stir together until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted.

4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until firm, or overnight.

5. When the mixture has firmed up, scoop by the heaping teaspoonful and roll into a ball. {This is much easier with cold hands!}

6. Place each ball in the bowl of crushed cookie and cocoa mixture; roll around to coat. Continue with remaining ganache.

Keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature about an hour before serving.

Spiced Cider Jelly Candies | Bake Craft Sew 2014 + Blendtec Giveaway!

Can you believe it's that time of year again? Because I sure can't. It's time to start thinking about stocking stuffers and Christmas cookies and braving the malls once again -- the holidays are just about here!

I've obviously been preoccupied with preparing for my own special delivery this year, but that doesn't mean that I haven't had time to make some DIY treats for giving. {I actually have loaves of Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pecan Bread packaged up and frozen for labor and delivery nurse thank you gifts once the baby decides to join us. Good thinkin' ahead, right??} Those are actually my favorite kind.

The lovely ladies running Bake Craft Sew are in full swing sharing 30 days of homemade, handmade and lovingly made gifts that you can whip up to give to friends, family and even complete strangers if that's your thing.

Last year, I shared my Creamy Eggnog Dip that is SO easy to make and looks oh-so-inviting when it's packaged up all pretty in a little jar with some embellishments.

This year, I'm sharing a recipe for these {again, easy-to-make!} Spiced Cider Jelly Candies. They look super fancy but really don't take much more work than boiling a few ingredients together and letting them set!

Head over to Leigh Anne's blog, Your Homebased Mom, for the recipe. Before you head over, make sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below... it's for a Stainless Steel Designer BlendTec Blender worth $650!!! Now THAT's a gift you may want to keep. ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bake, Craft, Sew! | Creamy Eggnog Dip

Have you started thinking about holiday shopping? Overwhelmed by the idea of hitting the {crowded} stores and getting all those names crossed off your list?

Fear not! Rachel from A Southern Fairytale is hosting Bake, Craft, Sew! over on her blog... Thirty days of original, delicious, adorable and doable DIY holiday gift ideas that will ease the anxiety of holiday prep!

I adore this idea because I think homemade gifts are so lovely. They can take a little effort, sure, but with a little organization and some brilliant ideas for inspiration, you can easily whip up a whole sleigh-full of gifts without blowing your holiday budget.

I'm sharing a homemade, super simple solution to thoughtful holiday gifting today over on Rachel's blog:

Creamy Eggnog Dip.

Now, I know not everyone is into this holiday concoction, but those who are all about the decadent beverage are going to love you for turning this beloved treat into something you can eat. Did I mention that it's a boozy dip?? {You can leave out the hard stuff if you prefer... but what fun is that? Kidding.}

This idea came to me out of nowhere and as soon as I gave it a try, I knew it was a winner. How sweet a gift would this be to bring over to a holiday party or to deliver to friends and family?

NOTE: I forgot to mention over on A Southern Fairytale that this recipe makes enough for two gifts. And also, because it's a cream cheese-based creation, it should remain refrigerated until you're ready to share it. 

WANT THE RECIPE? Head over to A Southern Fairytale and make sure to browse all the other ideas that have been shared so far this month!

Rachel and her Bake, Craft, Sew co-hosts are also inviting you to take part in a fabulous giveaway with gifts including some gorgeous cookbooks, a $25 gift card to Amazon, and even a Ninja Ultimate Blender!! {Move over, Oprah!}

You can enter {DAILY!} here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you, Rachel, for letting me be part of this wonderful project!