Transform Leftover Chocolate Truffles Into A Sweet Cocktail Garnish

Chocolate truffles are a delicious treat that often results in leftovers. Their rich outer shell and creamy interior make them incredibly indulgent, so most people can only eat a few at a time. Sadly, even if you take care to store chocolate truffles correctly, they will only last a few weeks before starting to decline in quality. As such, it is best to enjoy them somewhat quickly. Don't worry, though, when you get tired of popping these luxurious confections straight into your mouth, we have another creative use for them: as a sophisticated garnish for your next cocktail.

While it may seem strange at first, chocolate and spirits have a lot more in common than it would seem at first glance. Just like different types of liquors have unique tasting notes, so do different types of chocolate. Many of these tasting notes are similar or the same — ranging from fruity and floral to earthy and astringent. When you pair the right chocolate with the right spirit, the tasting notes in each will be enhanced, allowing for a more elevated and complex drink, not to mention that the novelty of pairing a truffle with a cocktail will in itself make the experience that much more enjoyable.

Using truffles as a cocktail garnish can become unwieldy if you don't have a thoughtful approach. Before you begin, consider whether you would prefer to serve the truffle up whole to preserve its aesthetic appeal, or if you would rather transform its elements into something more practical. If you decide on the former route, your best option is to either serve the truffle alongside the cocktail glass as an accoutrement or place it on a skewer. Beware, though, simply jamming a skewer against the shell is likely to shatter the truffle; instead, gently rotate the skewer in a drilling motion until a small hole is formed. If you decide to use the truffle in a more abstract way, your best option is to grate it into sweet chocolate shavings, either over the surface of your drink or onto a plate, where you can then use them to rim your cocktail glass.

Leveraging leftover chocolate truffles in this way works for many types of drinks. You can start out by including them in more obvious applications, such as in this chocolate martini, but you will see even more benefits by branching out beyond sugary beverages. Add a dark chocolate truffle to enhance the smokiness of a mescal coffee cocktail, or highlight the fruity notes of a French blonde cocktail by incorporating a white chocolate truffle. There are few ways to go wrong, so feel free to experiment to find your favorite combination.