This wonderful Chocolate Truffle recipe and photo are courtesy of Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Andrews, TX. Check
out more of Cynthia's
Southwest Recipes.
From as early
as I can remember, holidays were a special time in the kitchen at our house, and
at the houses of both my grandmothers. It almost seemed that starting from the
week before Thanksgiving (sometimes even earlier), until well after the New Year
has rung in, the kitchens were all abuzz with activity.
I was just
small child when I can remember helping my mom with the Christmas cookie and
candy making. It made me feel so special the first time you let me get up on
the stool to help her when she made the divinity. She careful poured this
boiling hot sugary, syrupy mixture over the egg whites that she had allowed me
to beat stiff with her old stand mixer. I had become a part of the holiday
candy making tradition from that moment on.
I will admit,
I do love divinity, and fudge, and most any other candy (even some that come in
wrapper at the store, even if they are not as good as what comes out of a
kitchen stocked with love). However, the first time I ever bit into a truffle,
it was definitely love at first bite! The problem was, when you love something
that much, you don’t want to pay a fortune for a tiny box of them when you know
you can make them yourself. So I began to research, and experiment, and then
research some more when my experiments came out like something from a B horror
flick. I took a little info here, and some there, and finally I came up with a
recipe I think can match even the priciest truffles you can find to buy. This
recipe may look long, or you may even think it is harder than what it is worth,
but try it just once and you will realize that despite the lines of text you see
below, making truffles is an incredibly easy task that can more than pay for
itself with the very first batch!
More wonderful
Chocolate Recipes and
Candy Recipes.
Chocolate Truffles
Recipe Type:
Candy,
Chocolate
Yields: Many chocolate truffles
Prep time:
10 min
Ingredients:
10 ounces bittersweet
chocolate, (chopped very, very fine)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup
heavy cream
1/4 cup liqueur of your choice (I like to use Kahlua, DisArrono, or Amaretto)
Suggested truffle coating Ingredients:
1/2 cup
Dutch-Process Cocoa
Finely chopped nuts
Toasted coconut
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate for dipping (Chocolate candy coating can be used instead).
Preparation:
In a microwave-safe bowl (glass bowl preferred because it retains heat and keeps
the chocolate tempered for a longer time), place chocolate in the microwave for
thirty seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate it melted. Be very
careful not to overheat the chocolate. The chocolate may not look as if it has
completely melted, because it retains its shape. The chocolate should be only
slightly warmer than your bottom lip. You may still see lumps in it once you've
stirred it, but don't worry; the residual heat of the chocolate will melt it.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter, corn syrup,
and cream until it just begins to simmer; remove from heat.
NOTE: Stir constantly while doing this to avoid scorching
the mixture on the bottom of the pan. Pour the cream/corn syrup mixture
over the tempered chocolate and let it stand for about 2 minutes. The heat from
the mixture will finish the meting of the chocolate. You now have a chocolate ganache.
Stir the chocolate ganache mixture carefully, but
thoroughly until it is smooth and creamy. Stir in the liqueur (of your choice)
and make sure it is mixed throughout the chocolate. Spoon the mixture into a
8-inch by 8-inch glass baking dish and cover it with plastic wrap. Place in the
refrigerator to cool until it is firm, approximately 1 to 2 hours.
When the chocolate ganache is cooled and firmed, scoop out
small amounts with a spoon or melon baler, and place on a cookie sheet lined
with parchment paper or a Sil-Pat. Return this to the refrigerator to firm up
again. You will see just how quickly the ganache begins to melt when it is
removed from the refrogeratpr, especially if you are using your hands to form a
more ball like structure with it.
While you are waiting for the ganache to get firm, get your
Truffle Coating Ingredients ready:
Place the Dutch cocoa in a small bowl.
Finely chop the nuts in a food processor or similar
(toasting the nuts before chopping can give them a deeper flavor). To toast
pecans, almonds, or walnuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat
and stir constantly to avoid burning until you can smell the aroma of the
nut. Remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool before chopping.
Toast the coconut in a 350 degree F. oven for 10
minutes or until slightly brown. Remove from oven and allow the coconut to
cool; then crush it in a plastic bag so that it is fine.
Chocolate candy coating can be melted in the microwave
or on the stove with a double boiler. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for melting.
Finely chop 8 ounces of
semi-sweet chocolate and place into a medium-size bowl. Although this can
be done on the stove with a double boiler, the easiest way, and safest way
of keeping the chocolate “temper”, is to use a heating source such as a hot
plate on low to medium, or even a heating pad under the bowl. Stirring
occasionally, heat the chocolate until it reaches 92 degrees F. on your
CookingThermometer. NOTE:
Keep it at this temperature to maintain that crisp crunch when it is cooled
around the truffle center. DO NOT heat your chocolate above 94 degrees F,
the temperature at which you will loose the temper.
Now you are ready to rock and ROLL!
Roll the truffles that is….
Remove the chocolate ganache from the refrigerator in small
batches. Roll it in your palm to form a ball. Immediately place it in the
coating of your choice and cover completely. Place the coated ball back on a
lined cookie sheet and allow to set up in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour.
To cover the balls with chocolate, use a small slotted spoon or a fork, and
allow the chocolate to drip off after you have dipped it, then place on the
cookie sheet with the others.
I like to make a variety of truffles, and it is just as easy as changing the coating, or even changing the liqueur you are using.
