Chocolate Dulce de Leche Truffles

Gather the ingredients.

Place the bittersweet chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside for now.

Combine the dulce de leche and the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Heat the mixture, whisking occasionally, until the dulce de leche melts and combines with the cream. The mixture will be very thick and there may be a few lumps here and there.

Heat the mixture until it just starts bubbling.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, and let it sit for one minute to soften the chocolate.

Whisk everything together until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is a smooth ganache.

Transfer the ganache to a food processor, if there are still lumps in the dulce de leche, and pulse in 5-second intervals, about two to three times, until ganache is silky-smooth and glossy. A high-speed blender or immersion blender can also be used.

Transfer the ganache to a bowl, press a layer of cling wrap on top, and refrigerate it until it's firm enough to scoop, about 1 hour.

Cover a baking sheet with foil, parchment, or waxed paper.

Place the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl at workstation.

Form the ganache into small balls using a candy scoop or a small spoon.

Dust hands with cocoa powder and roll ganache between palms to make them round.

Repeat until all of the ganache has been rolled into balls. Let the tray of truffles sit out overnight at room temperature if time permits, ideally between 60-70 F. This will help them develop a "skin," meaning they will be sturdy enough for dipping while at room temperature instead of chilled. This helps prevent cracking in the outer chocolate layer. If pressed for time, refrigerate the tray of truffles until they're firm enough to dip, about 45 minutes.

Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring after every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.

Use dipping tools or forks to dip a truffle into the chocolate, then remove it from the bowl and let excess drip back into the bowl.

Place the truffle on the prepared baking sheet, and while the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the top with a pinch of chopped candied nuts. Repeat until all of the truffles have been dipped.