Visions of Sugarplums

In my dreams, I'm a fabulous cook. I have a fully stocked professional kitchen, with gadgets that would make Alton Brown proud. And I know how to use each and every one.

My Sub-Zero Refrigerator and pantry are stocked with the finest organic ingredients, all-natural and incredibly fresh. I have real butter, salted and unsalted, fresh proscuitto, homemade mozzarella, and every fresh herb known to man.

I make my own breads and pastas.

Bobby Flay comes to my house and challenges me to a Throwdown. I don't know what single item I could make that would even be worthy of Bobby Flay challenging me, but, hey. They're my dreams.

In this reality, however, I usually channel that Semi-Homemade Diva herself, Sandra Lee.

While I love to cook, I'm not a huge baking fan. I do, however, enjoy giving homemade treats at Christmas, and baked goods are easy. Well, easier.

This year, I hit the motherlode. Betty Crocker makes a super-easy, even a seven-year-old boy could do it Ultimate Fudge Truffle Mix. Now, yes, I realize that truffles aren't terribly difficult to make from scratch, but this was my first foray into the candy world and I had a dog and a toddler at my feet, so bear with me.

Pour the mix into a bowl, add butter and water, mix and spread onto a cookie sheet. Cool at room temperature (don't even have to clean out the refrigerator to make room for them!) for 30 minutes (enjoy nice Blue Moon with Orange while the Manimal takes a late afternoon nap). Roll into balls and roll in provided cocoa powder (or be adventurous...see next paragraph). Voila! You have lovely (if somewhat oval-shaped) truffles. Did I mention they provide the cute little candy papers?

Now for the adventurous part.

I couldn't leave well-enough alone, so I rolled some in chili powder, some in nuts, and even put sea salt on the tops of others. While Vosges is in no danger of losing truffle business on my account, I have to say they turned out quite well!

Of course, I have no pictures and they're already packaged and delivered...

But trust me, they were tasty!

Cheers!