White Chocolate Meyer Lemon Truffles

With the holidays in our midst I thought I would share a fun, festive recipe for these White Chocolate Meyer Lemon Truffles. I was inspired to make them after spending some time recently with my friend Jessica Foster, owner of Jessica Foster Confections here in Santa Barbara. Her truffles are incredible, and the Meyer Lemon is among my favorite flavors that she makes, so I decided to give them a go. She covers all of her truffles with a divine chocolate ganache coating, but I left my version bare- save for a light sugar coating- because they remind me of tiny snowballs! These would make amazing homemade gifts for friends, family and co-workers, which is exactly what prompted me to make them. Stay tuned for more holiday themed posts!

makes about 30 truffles
Ingredients
9 oz. good quality white chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
zest of one meyer lemon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
pinch of salt
3 tsp. lemon juice
superfine sugar, for dusting

Instructions
1. Finely chop the white chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Set aside.
2. Add lemon zest to cream in a small heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer, taking care not to boil. Remove from heat.
3. Add butter and salt to white chocolate, then pour hot cream mixture into bowl. Melt over a saucepan with simmering water until smooth (do not allow water to touch glass bowl). Add lemon juice and stir to combine. Chill mixture for at least 4 hours.
4. Using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop portion out 1 inch balls of ganache mixture. Roll in your hands to form a ball (quickly, as it will begin to melt from the heat of your hands).
6. Immediately sprinkle each truffle with the sanding sugar and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Allow to set for at least 5 minutes before serving (will keep for up to two weeks when stored in an airtight container).