READY IN 2 hr

Italian Capezzoli di Venere (Chocolate Truffles of Venus)

Read Reviews (7)

"For years I have been making this sublime chocolate treat, which I believe to be perfect for Valentine's Day. Created by combining a dark chocolate ganache with chestnuts, coating it with a creamy white chocolate coating, and finally topping the truffle with a nipple of pale pink sweet white chocolate. Naughty and delicious!" — LaLeeRu

Directions

Place the dark chocolate into the top part of a double boiler over simmering water, and let the chocolate melt. Turn off the heat and let the chocolate cool.
Place the chestnuts into the work bowl of a food processor, and process until the chestnuts are smoothly pureed, about 1 minute.
Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chestnuts, brandy, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the chocolate, and pinch off about 1 tablespoon of filling per truffle. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. If the mixture is too soft to hold its shape, chill for several minutes in refrigerator.
Reserve about 1 ounce of white chocolate for tempering, and about 1 ounce for coloring. Melt the remaining 10 ounces of white chocolate over simmering water in a double boiler until the chocolate is melted and warm but not hot (about 105 degrees F (40 degrees C)). Remove the pan containing the melted chocolate from the double boiler, and add about 1 ounce of chopped, unmelted white chocolate. Stir the chocolate until the unmelted pieces of chocolate melt, and the temperature drops to 80 to 82 degrees F (27 to 28 degrees C)).
Carefully dip each center in the melted white chocolate, and gently place the truffle onto a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper to cool and harden, about 15 minutes.
Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chopped white chocolate over simmering water in a double boiler until the chocolate is melted and warm but not hot. Stir in a very small amount of powdered red food coloring until you get a desired shade of pink. Dip a little colored chocolate out with a spoon, dot each truffle with a pink dot, and allow the pink chocolate dots to set, about 15 minutes. Place the truffles into paper candy cups to serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 1 hr 30 mins
READY IN 2 hrs

Footnotes

Cook's Notes
If the filling is too thin, as it often is for me, I make the "balls" and put them in the freezer to set. In fact, I find the very solid and cold ganache is ideal for coating with chocolate, although the constant dipping of frozen centers into the hot tempered chocolate may require you to reheat the chocolate once more or maybe even twice more during the process.
If the center is too thick, thin it out, teaspoon by teaspoon, with brandy.
Editor's Note
Don't use a water-based or paste food coloring containing water to color your white chocolate pink, or the water will cause the melted chocolate to harden and turn grainy. Buy powdered food colorings at a specialty bakery shop or cake decorating supply store.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Sep 17, 2010

Wow, wow, and WOW!! The translation from Italian is actually "Venus' Nipples." If you've ever seen the movie "Amadeus," Salieri offers them to Mozart's wife and she giggles because the name is so naughty - but I digress. These are the real deal, authentic taste. The puree of chestnut adds a unique depth, characteristic of these gems. It's true that they're time consuming, but incredibly worth it. I have to point out that the recipe submitter said "high quality" chocolate, and that cannot be stressed enough. Your product will only taste as good as the chocolate you use. I used Lindt, which made for an incredibly delicious treat. Take the time to temper the white chocolate as described - it's spot on. If you melt it slowly, it will retain its lovely sheen, which gives your product high appeal. Kudos for this one!!

—Baricat

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

May 17, 2012

Didn't like these.. :P

—Krissy

See full review »

7 Ratings

Sep 16, 2010

These truffles are heavenly!!! Preparing them is a little time-consuming but your efforts will be repaid. The recipe here is very detailed and easy to follow. Try to use fresh chestnuts if they are available. It gives the truffles a richer taste. For variety, add finely chopped toasted almonds or freshly grated nutmeg to the truffle mixture. Thank you, Ms. LaLeeRu!

—salyru

See full review »

Feb 28, 2011

TY for sharing this! I have been wanting to try this for more than 15 years, ever since I first saw them in the movie, Amadeus, haha! I appreciate the detailed directions. This is definitely a time-intensive recipe and not one for a beginner or those who are impatient. But I love it!

—Keesha

See full review »

Dec 21, 2010

Rather time consuming, but delicious! Pretty too... I used fresh chestnuts and premium chocolate.

—dianer

See full review »

Feb 02, 2012

I did not try this recipe but I wanted to thank you for the tip about the food coloring. I thought it was just that I had the stove set too high. Thanks!

—cookin'mama

See full review »

Dec 07, 2010

This is not an easy recipe to make. i guess if your more used to dealing with candy it is probably much easier but it was my first attempt at something like this (I wanted to surprise my wife). They did turn out tasty very much so actually but I had several challenges that I didn't know how to deal with. I would appreciate an email from someone who has experience making these so maybe I can ask some questions and do better next time :) email is tac62@sbcglobal.net THANKS!!

—tcawthorne

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Addictive Chocolate Truffles

Twilight Dark Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles

Dark Chocolate Cabernet Truffles

Ghirardelli(R) Dark Chocolate Truffles

Easy Chocolate Truffles

Alsatian Chocolate Balls

Luscious Chocolate Truffles

Austrian Chocolate Balls

Nutrition

Calories
99 kcal
5%

Carbohydrates
12.4 g
4%

Cholesterol
5 mg
2%

Fat
5 g
8%

Fiber
0.8 g
3%

Protein
0.9 g
2%

Sodium
14 mg
< 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Italian Capezzoli di Venere (Chocolate Truffles of Venus)

Serving Size: 1/60 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 60
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 99
Calories from Fat: 45

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g 8 %
Saturated Fat 2.1g 11 %
Cholesterol 5mg 2 %
Sodium 14mg < 1 %
** Potassium 61mg 2 %
Total Carbohydrates 12.4g 4 %
Dietary Fiber 0.8g 3 %
Protein 0.9g 2 %
** Sugars 7.7g
** Vitamin A < 1 %
** Vitamin C 3 %
** Calcium 2 %
** Iron < 1 %
** Thiamin 2 %
** Niacin 2 %
** Vitamin B6 3 %
** Magnesium 1 %
** Folate 3 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.