White Chocolate Saffron Truffles

Truffles have this mystic, extravagant air about them. When you throw around the word "truffle," people Ooo and Ahhh and think of fancy, expensive things. Partly because actual truffles are those really pretentious mushrooms no one can afford. But mostly because the word truffle is associated with some sort of delicious chocolate treat for the rest of us. And everyone likes delicious chocolate treats (even, god forbid, those people who just don't know it yet).
A friend recently gave me a bit of saffron to play around with since I had never used (or tasted) saffron before. My immediate thought was to put it in truffles because I had already planned to make them (but for all I knew about saffron, it could have been a steak spice). Had I known saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, I might have treated it with a bit more reverence. Though I still managed to unwittingly combine two of the most pretentious foods in existence.

Now that I've wildly thrown about the words "truffle" and "saffron," I feel sufficiently pompous. So I apologize for this (deliciously) arrogant post but, since the damage is already done, I don't see the harm in being a bit cheeky for a bit longer. Do you?

Let me describe these sassy little devils to you.

White chocolate saffron truffles are sensual. Subtle. Conceited and coy. They send you a come-hither gaze from across the room. They make promises that sound too good to be true. They urge you to partake, to give in, to indulge. When you give into that unceasing gaze (and oh will you ever), these truffles live up to all of those expectations. The very moment they disappear into the mouth, they melt into a velvety smooth chocolate that circles the tongue like a silk scarf. The chocolate dances and weaves between the taste buds. It waltzes. It tangos. When the final chords strike, it gives a finishing whirl before dipping out of sight.
If you don't happen to have saffron lying around, it can be substituted for another herb such as lavender or removed completely. I don't think anyone can turn down a simple and elegant white chocolate truffle. And that's the truth.

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Chocolate Bowls

Have you ever sat down to a devour a delectable dessert, licked the last sweet taste from the spoon, and groaned audibly at the prospect of now having to clean up after yourself? Groan no more! After a perusal of Bakerella's blog, I discovered the solution to this dire problem. Edible bowls. Can you imagine the grief this will save you? The suffering? The pruny, wrinkled dishwater hands?

I quickly decided I needed to make these chocolate bowls for myself.

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