Chocolate Truffles with Bacon

Instructions

1. Cut bacon into 2-inch pieces and fry until just crispy. Reserve 1/3 cup of bacon fat, taking care to avoid the little fried bits in the fat. Chop bacon into small granular bits until you have 1/4 cup for truffle topping. Combine bacon with 2 tablespoons sugar, doubling these amounts if you are rolling the entire truffle into the bacon-sugar mixture. Save remaining bacon for another use.
2. In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-safe bowl over simmering water, combine the cream and bacon fat. After throuroughly combined, add 1 pound of the chopped chocolate. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts. Remove from the heat and stir or whisk until smooth.
3. Pour into a shallow bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the chocolate. Refrigerate overnight or for several days to allow chocolate mixture to harden sufficiently.
4. With a sharp knife, scrape off most of the bacon fat that has accumulated to the top of the hardened chocolate. Using a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out chocolate and roll with hands to form 1-inch balls. Refrigerate.
5. In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-safe bowl over simmering water, heat remaining pound of chocolate, stirring with a rubber spatula intermittently. Let the chocolate melt completely. With the spatula, lift some of the melted chocolate then drop it back into the pool of chocolate. The chocolate should stack up on itself, as opposed to sinking back into the bowl, when the truffles are ready for dipping. (You may find placing the melted chocolate in another bowl of ice will help firm up the chocolate if necessary.)
6. Using two small spoons, dip the truffles, one at a time, into the chocolate mixture, rolling the truffle into the chocolate to cover completely. Lay chocolate dipped truffle on a sheet pan covered with wax paper or parchment. Sprinkle the bacon-sugar mixture on the truffle while the chocolate is still warm.
7. Refrigerate the truffles, covered, for up to 1 week or freeze airtight for up to 1 month in advance. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.