Hard

Nipples of Venus (Capezzoli di Venere)

Total Time
2h 35m
36m prep · 119m cook
Servings
4 people
Rating
Difficulty
Hard
2 views
🥬 Vegetarian 🌾 Gluten-Free 🥜 Nut-Free ✡️ Kosher

I first learned of these confections through the famous scene of the same name in the movie Amadeus. Fast forward 30-plus years later, and inspired by a viewer's request, I finally learned that these were in fact real, and very delicious, thanks in part to the star of the show, chestnuts. Serve these as a sexy snack during a Valentine's viewing of the corresponding film.

Ingredients

  • 0.33 cups white sugar
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter , room temperature
  • 6 ounces dark chocolate , chopped
  • 14 ounces whole chestnuts
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 0.25 cups brandy
  • 8 ounces white chocolate , chopped
  • 0.33 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 teaspoons milk , or as needed
  • paper candy cups
  • 1 drop red food coloring , or more as needed

Instructions

  1. 1

    Cream sugar and butter together with a spatula until light and creamy. Set aside.

  2. 2

    Heat an inch of water in a pot set over low heat. Melt dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl placed over the pot. Stir with a small spatula.

  3. 3

    Place chestnuts in a food processor; pulse on and off until very finely ground. Add chestnuts to the sugar-butter mixture and stir until combined. Add salt, cayenne pepper, vanilla extract, and brandy. Stir well. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix again until filling is well blended.

  4. 4

    Scoop filling onto a silicone-lined baking sheet and smooth out if necessary. Cover the balls in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the white chocolate coating.

  5. 5

    Reserve about 20% of the white chocolate to stir in later. Melt the rest in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water until an instant-read thermometer inserted in to the chocolate reads 105 degree F (41 degrees C). Add the reserved white chocolate and stir until melted.

  6. 6

    Place 1 chocolate truffle on a fork and hold it up above the white chocolate coating. Spoon on the white chocolate until ball is well coated. Use another fork to push the truffle onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining truffles and coating. Place the bowl of coating back over hot water if it chocolate starts to harden.

  7. 7

    Mix confectioners' sugar with enough milk to make a very thick paste that will hold together well. Dye it pink with red food coloring. Transfer into a piping bag and pipe a small dot on top of each truffle. Serve truffles in paper candy cups.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving

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