These truffles make for a wonderful dessert for the holidays or any occasion! They can be decorated as reindeers, or with cocoa, coconut, confectionery sugar, or dipped into sprinkles or nuts. Make these on a rainy day and let your kids help you, or save them for the holiday season and watch the delight on your child's face as he decorates these lovely reindeers! (truffle recipe adapted from Taste of Home)

Note: If you are running short on time, feel free to substitute Chocolate truffles with Katz's Gluten Free Chocolate Cupcakes or Udi's Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffins. Decorate as directed.

Ingredients for Holiday Reindeers:
14 gluten free chocolate truffles (See recipe below)
1/4 cup light cocoa gluten free candy melts
1/4 cup gluten free white candy melts
28 gluten free mini chocolate chips, tips cut off
red and brown mini M&M's
28 pieces of gluten free pretzel twists

 Directions:
1. Melt light cocoa candy melts, Spoon into a zip-lock bag and seal bag. Repeat with white candy melts. Snip off a very small corner from both zip-lock bags.

2. Pipe a small dot of melted light cocoa onto the two upper sides of each truffle. Affix a pretzel twist to each dot as antlers.

3. Pipe a small dot of melted light cocoa to the center of each truffle and affix a mini m&M as a nose. 4. Pipe two small bits of white melted candy on each truffle and affix a min chocolate chip to each dot. These are the reindeer's eyes. Refrigerate truffles until set, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients for Truffles:
20 ounces gluten free semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine 8 ounces of chocolate with butter and set aside.

2. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat until simmering. Pour 1/2 cup cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate melts and texture is smooth. add remaining heavy cream to the mixture and stir until ganache becomes thick and shiny.

3. Pour ganache into a 2" deep greased baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until the ganache assumes the texture of fudge.

4. Remove ganache from freezer. Using a melon baller or cookie scoop, form small balls out of the ganache mixture and place onto prepared baking sheet. Balls need not be perfect. Place truffles in the freezer to harden for about 15 minutes. Remove truffles, roll between hands to form even circles and return to the freezer.

5. Heat remaining chocolate over a double boiler until melted. Remove chocolate from heat and stir slightly until chocolate begins to set on edges of the bowl. remove truffles from freezer and dip each ball into chocolate, coating all sides. Remove with a fork and let extra chocolate drop off. Allow chocolate to set for approximately 5 minutes before decorating.

Serving suggestion: Decorate truffles with chopped nuts, sprinkles, cocoa, confectionery sugar or as reindeers, directions below.