Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Truffles : 50 Deliciously Decadent Homemade Chocolate Treats _by Dede Wilson.
Cacao beans, from which we get all our wonderful chocolate, are now available in raw form. Called cacao (or cocoa) nibs, they look like tiny brown nuggets similar in shape to kasha or buckwheat groats. Cacao nibs are not sweet, but they have an intense chocolate flavor unlike any other product. In this recipe, they are steeped in cream to add flavor to the ganache and chopped for use as a topping._
