Pumpkin Chocolate Cream Cheese Truffles

Over the years, I've learned to avoid certain things:

1. Negative people who suck the very life out of my day.
2. The mall on weekends - and any time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
3. The color beige - it does nothing for me.
4. Scary movies - enough scary things happen in real life.

I may need to add these truffles to the list, and soon.  Why?  Because after nearly a month of eliminating sugar, processed foods, and yeast and feeling absolutely amazing, I saw these in Food Network magazine, and decided to make them for a party I was going to.  I ended up eating about seventy-three of them.

They're that good.

I managed to squash (pun intended) all of my favorite Fall flavors into a delightful little chocolate shell. 

I'm telling you, these are pumpkin-flavored bombs of pleasure.

Unfortunately, sugar simply doesn't agree with me.  I was hungover all day Monday, and they were enough to trigger my long-denied addiction to sugar - in addition to the truffle bombs, I ate about a dozen pumpkin cookies with vanilla icing.  I unwittingly unleashed the Beast.  So no more truffles for me for a while.

But that doesn't mean that the rest of you shouldn't get to enjoy them.

Bombs away!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cream Cheese Truffles

(Makes about 25.  Inspired by Food Network Magazine)

• 1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup confectioner's sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves
• ⅛ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 bag dark chocolate chips (I used Godiva)

1.  Using a standing mixer, thoroughly combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.

2.  Melt the chocolate in a heat-safe glass bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring frequently and nearly constantly at the end.  When the chocolate is smooth and completely melted, turn the heat off.

3.  Take the chilled pumpkin mixture and use your hands to form it into small balls, about ½ - ¾-inch in diameter.  Place the balls on a Silpat liner or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.  Put in the freezer for 5 - 10 minutes to firm up again.

4.  Meanwhile, pour the melted chocolate into a pastry bag or other piping tool.  With one hand, pick up one of the pumpkin balls and put a dollop of chocolate on the liner then place the pumpkin ball back on top.  Drizzle more chocolate on top to create a shell (it's okay if some of the pumpkin mixture peeks through).  Repeat this for the rest of the balls.  Or, grab the nearest Sous Chef and divide up the work.

5.  After the truffles have been covered in chocolate, return them to the freezer until they are completely set.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Best served chilled, after a day or two of "marinating".

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Eat well.