Programming for children, teens, and adults is an integral part of the public librarian's career.  The information below describes how a librarian could use chocolate in a public library program.  This could be centered around the Christmas holidays or Valentine's Day and could be customized for patrons of any age group.  See the attachment at the bottom of this page for the following information in a Word document.

Recipe

• 4 cups good quality milk chocolate
• 4 cups good quality bittersweet chocolate (60%)
• 1-1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and finely chopped nuts for coating.

Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Add butter and stir until melted.  Add chocolate to saucepan.  Stir until completely melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow bowl.  Cool, cover, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.   Roll into 1” balls.  Roll each ball in coating.  Yields approximately 120 truffles.

http://www.ghirardelli.com

 

Program Instructions

Make one or more batches of the above recipe depending on the number of people expected. Allow at least a few truffles per person. At 6 truffles each, the above recipe will allow for 20 participants.

Pour equal amounts of the chocolate mixture (ganache) into single-serving trays or sealable containers and chill at least 2 hours before the beginning of the program. If the ganache is chilled for more than 2 hours, remove from refrigerator half an hour to one hour before the program to ensure ganache will be soft enough to work with.

Give each participant a divided paper plate, a spoon, a pair of gloves, and a treat bag with tie.  Let participants select truffle toppings by scooping a small amount into each divided section of the plate.

Show participants how to scoop a small amount of ganache with the spoon and roll into small balls. They may then roll the balls in the desired toppings.  Show participants how to check the size and shape of their truffles with the self-assessment tool (truffle template) provided below.

Allow participants to fill their treat bags with as many truffles as they can make and take the treat bags home.

A sample recipe card for handing out is attached below along with a PowerPoint template to create your own recipe cards for further programs. 

Cost

 

Item	Total Cost	Number	Cost per Item
Treat Bags	1.99	20	0.10
Gloves	3.98	20	0.20
Plastic Spoons	1.39	24	0.06
Plates	3.29	22	0.15
Truffle Recipe	35.02	20	1.75
Cost per person			$2.26