Thursday, January 7, 2010

secrets from the recipe box I: truffle making

From top:
Dark Chocolate Orange Truffle (dark chocolate ganache with orange extract, enrobed in white chocolate); Hazelnut Chai Truffle (milk chocolate ganache with hazelnuts and chai tea, rolled in cocoa powder); Peppermint Crunch Truffle (mint chocolate ganache with crushed candy cane pieces, enrobed in dark chocolate); Sugar and Spice Truffle (milk/dark chocolate ganache with cinnamon and nutmeg, rolled in turbinado sugar);















































I received the most adorable recipe box as a Christmas present this year, and I've already begun to fill it with some of my most cherished (read: foolproof) recipes. Today I thought I'd share my yearly Christmas tradition*... truffle making! I've found a lot a random truffle recipes online and in cookbooks, but this one that I've adapted from a Sobeys catalog seems to have the best consistency. Not to mention it is practically foolproof (unlike those chocolate covered cherries we tried to make last year, eh Steph?)

*this is the second time I've made truffles at Christmastime, thus officiating it as a "yearly tradition".

Foolproof Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients (makes about 18 small truffles)
  • 150 grams good-quality chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup 35% whipping cream
  • flavouring agents - cinnamon, nutmeg, flavoured liqueurs, peppermint extract, orange extract, the possibilities are only limited by your creativity!
  • fine cocoa powder for coating
  • optional: chocolate for coating truffles
Directions
  1. Heat the whipping cream in a small saucepan, until bubbles just begin to break the surface.
  2. Pour heated whipping cream over chopped chocolate.
  3. LET SIT 5 MINUTES (this step is extremely important! Otherwise, the layers will separate and you will be left with a oily, gooey mess. I would know - this has happened to me twice...damn my impatience!)
  4. Stir the whipping cream and chopped chocolate until mixture (called ganache) is smooth. If you are adding any flavouring agents, now would be the time to mix them in.
  5. Refrigerate for 1.5-2 hours, or until ganache is hardened.
  6. With a melon-baller, scoop out small balls of ganache and roll into a ball with your hands.
  7. Roll the ganache in cocoa powder until completely covered.
  8. If you would like to cover the truffle in a coat of chocolate, skip step 7. Instead, heat the chocolate in a double boiler (or in a microwave at low power, in spurts of about 30 s). With a small spoon, dip the ganache ball into the melted chocolate until completely coated. Set on wax paper and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.

4 comments:

  1. the sugar and spice truffles are my favourite. the turbinado sugar really just made the whole recipe!!!

    lovin the blog
    xoxoxo
    pro

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  2. Marie!

    I still have one truffle left of the ones you gave me. I am savoring it. They are truly wonderful! I look forward to joining your tradition next Christmas! You have a wonderful blog!

    Cheers,

    Nadia

    ReplyDelete
  3. sounds goooooooooood =)
    bahahahaha bet u didnt know I had a blog

    ReplyDelete