5 Ingredients or Fewer

Chocolate Pomegranate Truffles

by:
November 30, 2012
4.5
4 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes 16
Author Notes

My husband's family has the lovely tradition of sending huge amounts of homemade candy to friends and family around Christmas time. I loved the tradition so much that a couple of years ago, I too started making homemade candy and sending little packages to my loved ones.

This year I was hoping to gift them some truffles but I had never made them before, so I was a little nervous! It did take me a while to figure out the recipe, but I finally managed to get the right taste and texture! I have made these truffles both with and without the hard chocolate coating. My husband likes the softer textured truffles (without the coating) better, while my favorite is the one with the hard chocolate coating rolled in both the sugar and nut mixture. If you make these, let me know which combination you like the best! —Madhuja

Test Kitchen Notes

I love this recipe -- these truffles present beautifully and I love the use of pomegranate molasses with the chocolate. The chocolate has a slight fruity tang and the interiors of the truffle get almost a reddish hue from the pomegranate. The pomegranate sugar has a nice subtle tang -- I see myself using this sugar in other recipes, what a great idea! I would certainly make these again and am considering making these as gifts for the holidays! —Annie "Smalls"

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, divided
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
  • 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup pistachios, roasted and then chopped very finely
Directions
  1. Add 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and the heavy cream to a small mixing bowl. In a small saucepan bring about one inch of water to a gentle simmer. Place the mixing bowl on top of the saucepan and stir gently until the chocolate has melted. Take it off the heat and mix in 1 tablespoon of pomegranate molasses. Let it chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. After 2 hours, scoop out the chocolate mixture using a teaspoon and gently roll it in between your palms to create as much of a round shape as possible. The chocolate will start to smear your palms, so work quickly! If you cannot get perfect rounds and end up with knobbly shapes, don't worry -- they are called "truffles" after all! Lay them out on the parchment lined baking sheet. Mine were about the size of blackberries. Chill them in the fridge for another 1-2 hours.
  3. While the truffles are chilling in the fridge, make the pomegranate sugar for coating. Mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 teaspoon of the pomegranate molasses thoroughly. Since it is such a sticky mixture, I used my fingertips to mix it in evenly. It is going to look and feel like brown sugar, but it is going to have an incredibly zingy taste! Spread out the pomegranate sugar on a small plate. Spread out the roasted and chopped pistachios on another small plate. I also had a third plate where I mixed some of the sugar along with some of the chopped pistachios in equal proportions.
  4. When the truffles have hardened up in the fridge, start making the final coating of chocolate. Using another small double boiler, melt 3 ounces of the bittersweet chocolate. Take it off the heat as soon as it has melted and then add the remaining 3 ounces of chocolate, stirring well until everything has melted. Make sure the chocolate has cooled slightly since having taken off the heat -- if it is too warm, it'll just melt the truffles as you try to coat them!
  5. Take the truffles out of the fridge. The easiest way I found of coating the truffles was to scoop some of the melted chocolate in a tablespoon and then roll the truffle in it and then drop it on a slotted spoon and shake off the excess chocolate. I gently tossed the truffles back and forth between the tablespoon and slotted spoon a couple of times to make sure that it was coated well and the excess chocolate had dripped off. Now, roll it around the pomegranate sugar or the chopped pistachios or the mixed plate. It is going to be a messy job, the chocolate will smear, so work as fast as you can. Lay it on the parchment covered baking sheet. Chill the truffles again for 1-2 hours in the fridge. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
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23 Reviews

Lisa R. December 19, 2020
I’m one that doesn’t like the chocolate coating and prefers the truffles soft. If I roll the uncoated truffles in the pom molasses/sugar mix, will they look pretty? Or will the coating look damp and unattractive? If so, do you think they could be rolled in chopped pistachios and be fine? Thanks - it looks like a good recipe!
 
somebunnyslove April 11, 2019
Confession time: I will make the "truffle insides" mixture into a pint jar, and take spoonfuls out whenever I needed my emergency chocolate fix. Now that pomegranate molasses is more easily attainable, I plan on making these treats as yummy gifts. Thank you for this amazing confection.
 
Madhuja May 13, 2019
Thank you so much for trying my recipe! :)
 
SUHA February 15, 2013
Thanks Madhuja for your tip... Actually I love Alton Brown..I think he is a genius as far as food chemistry is concerned. Also, it is always refreshing to know how to make anything homemade.
 
Madhuja February 15, 2013
I totally agree - I love making things from scratch, too!
 
SUHA February 14, 2013
Pomegranate molasses is the concentrated juice of pomegranates (has a sweet & sour flavor) used a lot in the Persian and Middle Eastern cuisines. You can find it at any Middle Eastern OR Persian store in your area.
 
Madhuja February 14, 2013
Thanks for the explanation SUHA!
 
Daria F. February 14, 2013
I got mine from the Whole Foods and also saw it in the liquor store right next to the cocktail cherries.
 
LeBec F. February 14, 2024
suha and madhuja, it's important to note whether the pom.molasses is sweetened or not, as there are 2 different kinds but both called 'pom. molasses'. thx for this innovative recipe!
mindy
 
Annette W. February 14, 2013
What is Pomegrante molasses? Where do you find it in the store? Or do you make it? If so anyone have a recipe?
 
Madhuja February 14, 2013
SUHA has already answered some of your questions, but if you want to make it yourself - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pomegranate-syrup-or-molasses-recipe/index.html
I have used this recipe before and works fine!
 
Annette W. February 14, 2013
Thanks to all that clarified it for me!

 
Shawn O. February 9, 2013
So do these chocolates keep/ship fairly well? I would like to make them and mail them to my family but I'm not sure how long they will stay fresh. Three or four days?
 
Madhuja February 9, 2013
These truffles kept fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days. However, I have never shipped chocolate (too worried that it will melt!), so I am not sure how well these truffles would do in the mail.
 
LeBec F. February 14, 2024
these should ship just fine. they can also be frozen [or refrigerated] for a long time.
best, mindy
 
Daria F. January 7, 2013
this is amazing!!! Love them! Takes time to make but the result is beyond the limits... I had some melted chocolate left, so will use less next time, but thy are so perfect!
 
Madhuja January 10, 2013
I am so, so glad you liked these! :)
 
NakedBeet December 5, 2012
Wow, I think the pom chocolate combination is awesome!
 
Madhuja December 5, 2012
Thank you so much! I love fruit and chocolate combinations!
 
EmilyC December 4, 2012
Yum -- I've never met a truffle I didn't like, but these look really good!
 
Madhuja December 5, 2012
Thank you, EmilyC! Now that I have a base recipe, I am excited to try out new flavor combinations! What's your favorite? :)
 
BlueKaleRoad November 30, 2012
These truffles are beautiful! What a marvelous family tradition. I love homemade holiday gifts and truffles are a decadent choice. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
 
Madhuja December 1, 2012
Thank you so much, BlueKaleRoad! Aren't homemade gifts the best? :)