Red-Wine Chocolate Truffles and Why Real Estate is Like a Box of Chocolates
Chocolate and Red Wine are two of my favorite things! That’s why I’m making Red Wine Truffles and talking about how real estate is like a box of chocolates. I love this recipe from Well Plated because it’s not only decadent, but simple to make.
Ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate finely chopped. I use the Pound Plus bar from Trader Joe’s. Do not use chocolate chips; the chocolate must be chopped from a bar. Use the good stuff here!
1/3 cup heated heavy cream
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons dry red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
How to Do It:
In a heat proof bowl add the bittersweet/semisweet chocolate, heavy cream, espresso powder and unsweetened cocoa powder. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the red wine and vanilla extract. Stir until it all comes together.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator to firm up for 40 minutes. It should be very soft but not so loose it isn't scoopable—somewhere between a brownie batter and a cookie dough. Don’t leave it too long or it will harden completely.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With 2 small spoons or a cookie scoop, scoop small portions of chocolate into rough mounds on the baking sheet (they will look messy and misshapen, but don’t worry we will be fixing them soon). Refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
With your hands, roll each mound of chocolate into a ball.
I prefer to roll each ball in cocoa powder, but you can choose whatever you like. Watch how I do it here.
Refrigerate the truffles until ready to serve. Before serving, remove the truffles from the refrigerator and let them come to near room temperature. Enjoy!
Why Real Estate is Like a Box of Chocolates
Let’s talk about what I mean when I say real estate is like a box of chocolate. It’s because in any given transaction, you never know what you’re gonna get. Which is why it is so important to hire an experienced real estate agent, like me!
I know sellers often think they can save themselves a commission fee by going the For Sale By Owner route. But here’s what they’re overlooking:
FSBOs fetch about 30% less for their owners than agent-listed properties.
You're often going to have to pay a commission anyway if your buyer is represented by an agent.
And if you're a buyer? Using a real estate agent just makes sense. In New York State, the seller pays the commission fee, not you.
In addition to what I mentioned before, an experienced real estate agent:
Will have working knowledge of the multiple documents involved in a real estate deal;
Is legally obligated to put their clients' best interests first. Yup, it’s our fiduciary duty to put you first.
Knows what to look for in a house and can guide you to ask questions about the age of the roof, leaks in the furnace and any other issue that can arise
And finally, agents have experienced negotiating skills -- and will put them to work for you.
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