Hello lovebugs. We hope your week was a sweet one and that you took time to love on someone, and do something you love for yourself.

This week, he pulled his snowboard back out and hit the snowy slopes of Western, NC to catch some air …and his breath.

I also headed west for a slumber party with some dear old friends… and played dress up with this munchkin….

And for Valentine’s Day we holed up at home to catch each other up on the latest while he taught me how to make this…

{Butter Poached Lobster Tails with Warm Truffled Potato, Asparagus and Sous Vide Breakfast Radish Salad with Mascarpone & Preserved Lemon }

Mmm…truffle butter, truffle honey, truffle salt… truffles truffles truffles are all the rage in the Littell house these days. But not just any truffles will do here. We love the decadent winter black perigord truffle products from our new friend Jane Morgan Smith of Truffles NC.

Lately imaginations have been running wild as Harrison, Chef Susi Gott Seguret and Jane have brainstormed on all things truffle deliciousness. It’s all for an upcoming Truffle Dinner to benefit the Backpack Program of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina.

The BackPack Program aims to address childhood hunger in rural communities by providing elementary school children at risk of hunger with backpacks full of nutritious, child-friendly foods to take home over the weekends during the school year.

It’s a program that’s near and dear to Jane’s heart and in addition to hosting this annual Truffle Dinner, she has pledged to donate a percentage of her annual sales to help feed hungry children.

This year’s benefit dinner will be hosted on Feb. 23rd at the open and airy Beta Verde Farm, owned by the passionate and creative mother-daughter duo, Margaret and Salem Norfleet Neff. There, guests will be treated to five dishes made with truffles, demos and select wines. Jane will be on hand to educate us all on truffles and why they grow so well in our area. It’s sure to be a memorable evening of learning, savoring and community building. We hope you will join us!

In the meantime, here’s a peek at one of the many truffle inspired creations from our house that would be so easy to recreate in yours. All you need is a little of this…

Cinnamon Sugar Churros with Black Winter Perigord Truffle Honey
{Adapted from recipe by Daisy Martinez on FoodNetwork.com }

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 to 5 eggs
• Canola oil, for frying
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Black Winter Perigord Truffle Honey to drizzle

Directions
1.    In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of water, your butter, sugar, vanilla and salt over medium-high heat until the edges of the liquid start to bubble. Add the flour all at once and stir briskly with a wooden spoon until well mixed and no lumps of flour remain.

2.    Remove saucepan from heat. Add (4) of the eggs, one at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon or a whisk. The dough should look soft and glossy and keep a “hook” shape when the spoon is pulled from the dough.  If not, beat in the last egg.

3.    Scrape the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.

4.    Pour enough canola oil into a deep heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) to fill 1-inch. Heat over medium heat until the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon gives off a slow steady stream of tiny bubbles.

5.    Carefully pipe the dough into the oil, forming roughly 6-inch churros. Pipe only as many churros into the oil as comfortably fits. Overcrowding the pan will result in soggy churros (yuck!)

6.    Fry, turning once, until golden brown on each side.

7.    Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining dough

8.    Put the sugar and cinnamon in a paper bag or large mixing bowl. Drop a few churros in at a time and toss until coated.

9.    Drizzle your truffle honey on top to finish. Best to eat your churros as soon as possible – so dig in and enjoy!

With love and truffles,

a+h