Hazelnut Truffles

I am making these as gifts this year. Who knows, maybe you will get some???
I watched Ina Garten, otherwise known as the Barefoot Contessa, make these on the food network. They were fast and easy!
For those of us who find ourselves craving chocolate, these should be "to die for!!"

Hazelnut Truffles

1 cup hazelnuts
3 1/2 ounces good bittersweet chocolate
3 1/2 ounces good semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon prepared coffee
1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Chop the hazelnuts and place them on a sheet pan. Roast them in the oven for 10 minutes. (If the hazelnuts have skin on them, roast them for 25 minutes.) Set aside to cool.

Chop the chocolates finely and place in a bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it boils. Immediately pour the hot cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with the chocolates. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. (If the chocolate doesn't melt completely, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir for a few minutes just until it melts.) Whisk in the coffee, and vanilla. Cover and chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour until pliable but firm enough to scoop.

With 2 teaspoons or a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop, make dollops of the chocolate mixture and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, until firm enough to roll into rough spheres. Roll the chocolate in the chopped hazelnuts and chill again. Truffles are best when they're allowed to set overnight in the refrigerator.

Now, since I am in a weight shedding contest with a couple friends, and they are going to be calling me out for sharing a chocolate truffle recipe, I will include the following recipe to redeem myself. I have not made these, but they sound delicious! The gal who gave me the recipe, is putting the dry ingredients in jars, and giving them as gifts.

Whole-wheat and Bran Buttermilk Pancakes

1 1/2 cups quality whole wheat flour (I buy Bob's Red Mill Organic)
1 1/2 cups quality unbleached white flour (same as above)
1/4 cup course oat bran
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon (if desired)
1 Tbls. baking soda
Mix dry ingredients using whisk.
Add:
3 eggs (fresh if at all possible!)
2-3 cups of buttermilk (start with 2 cups, then add by the 1/4 cupful until reaching desired consistency)
Mix well and drop by 1/4 cupfuls on nonstick griddle. Eat with fresh fruit, preserves, or real maple syrup. These are delicious AND healthy! This recipe will make about 24 pancakes. Save and wrap any extra in a ziploc bag after cooling. They are easy to microwave and serve again for a quick breakfast. Enjoy!