Try this Truffles (Chocolate) recipe
- Carbohydrate 183.3762 g
- Cholesterol 466.62 mg
- Fat 261.632 g
- Fiber 26.88 g
- Protein 25.9182 g
- Saturated Fat 157.6064 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (630g)
- Sodium 130.2 mg
- Sugar 156.4962 g
- Trans Fat 19.03048 g
- Calories 3165 calories
Step-by-step
- Day 1: Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, and boil the cream briefly.
- When the cream has just boiled, quickly add it to the melted chocolate, and remove from heat.
- Stir gently until somewhat cooled, then put in the refrigerator overnight. (Mandatory: you cant shorten that step)
- Day 2: Melt the chocolate mixture in a double boiler, and add the softened butter.
- Whip with a whisk until the mixture is cool, and then place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Day 3: Melt again.
- If youre adding a flavoring, such as Amaretto, Grand Mariner, etc (traditional, but not essential), this is the time.
- I used 1/3 cup of amarettor, and a touch of vanilla for an accent.
- Whip carefully until cool, and then place in the refrigerator until firm.
- The original recipe at this point says to use a pastry funnel and tip, but I let it get a touch harder, and then used a spoon and carefully shaped them with my hands.
- Do this on a piece of waxed paper or foil with cocoa powder, and roll them gently in teh powder.
- When all are formed, back to teh fridge.
- Allow to firm up, and serve after allowing them to approach room temperature.
- Since this recipe is a bit soft, you may wish to coat them with a harder dark chocolate outside, though this is left as an exercise for the reader.
Using heavy cream instead of fresh unpasteurized cream lowers the overall water content slightly, which changes the moisture balance and makes the initial emulsion less prone to breaking if heated too aggressively. Achieving a proper ganache texture relies entirely on controlling thermal shock during the first combining stage. When boiling the cream, watch for bubbles to form rapidly around the edges of the pot before immediately pulling it from the burner to pour over the dark chocolate. Stirring the mixture too vigorously at this point incorporates unwanted air pockets that disrupt the smooth, dense mouthfeel characteristic of a classic truffle.
The Multi-Day Temperature Cycle
Building structural integrity in a traditional truffle requires patience across three distinct calendar days. On the first day, combining the boiled cream with melted dark chocolate initiates the base ganache that must rest in the refrigerator overnight to crystallize the fats properly. The second day demands melting this base gently in a double boiler, whisking in softened unsalted butter until cool, and chilling the mixture again for 24 hours to stabilize the emulsion. On the final day, incorporate any liquid flavorings such as Amaretto before whipping the mixture until cool, then shape the soft mass directly on a sheet of waxed paper dusted with cocoa powder.
- Grainy texture usually stems from overheating the chocolate above 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the melting phases.
- If the ganache separates or appears oily, whisking in a single tablespoon of warm milk can help re-emulsify the fats.
- Shaping the soft spheres becomes significantly easier if the mixture is allowed to rest briefly in the refrigerator until it holds a firm impression.
