Valentine's Day Hospitality

February 6, 2018

Beloved:

    Chinese New Year is a big deal at Global Women’s Gathering and this year it falls near Valentine’s Day, so our usual chocolate plans happened one week early.  Today we made ten dozen Dark Chocolate Key Lime Truffles.  The easy, beautiful, delicious recipe is below.  
    We spent a good deal of time explaining elementary school classroom Valentine’s Day to our international friends at the table.  They know Valentine’s Day as a romantic for-adults-only holiday.  They are a little shocked by the first-grade teacher’s note that says “Valentine Party next Wednesday,” with instructions to bring a card and small treat to share with every kid in the class.  Heidi wisely googled kid valentines and showed them the $3 box from Target; “they can pick Spider-Man or trolls or smiley faces,” she explained.  There was much relief all around.  
    Our conversation question for English practice had to do with homemade food gifts:  “What is something you like to cook to share?”  Jenny, from Taiwan, told how once a year she makes trays and trays of egg rolls for her grandsons who eat them up all in one day.  Florine told how her husband’s grandma hid a $5 bill in every kid’s birthday cake, then cut it perfectly so the birthday kid always got the slice with the prize.  
    It was as ordinary a winter afternoon as might be found anywhere on earth – women friends drinking tea and talking about food.  I felt privileged to attend and grateful to call it work.  Grateful to be part of a church where hospitality is a living, breathing, joyful thing.  Thank you for your support and prayers.  


~ peace & prayers,
pastor annette


Key Lime Truffles  ~ Dark Chocolate Candies for Valentine’s Day
Annette Hill Briggs

Ready in:    1 hour, 10 minutes
Yield:         about 80 truffles

Ingredients

• 8 Tablespoons softened cream cheese
  

(half of an 8-oz. package)

• 12 Tablespoons salted butter (1 ½ sticks)
  
• 1 cup of sugar
  
• Zest of 4 limes
  
• Juice of 4 limes (8 Tbsp.)
  
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  
• Dark chocolate, melted (about 8-10 oz. of dark baking chocolate)
  
• 
  
  ​1​
  cup chopped hazelnuts
  
  

Directions ~ In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, lime zest and lime juice until well combined. Mix together the flour and graham cracker crumbs and beat into the cheese mixture to form a scoop-able “batter-dough.”  Roll small balls of the mixture and refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm up (or freeze at this point).  Dip in melted chocolate and allow to set.  Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts before chocolate sets.  When coated, truffles can be kept at room temperature for 1 week or for 3 weeks in the fridge. ​