Deep-Fried Chocolate Truffles


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I adapted this recipe is from Chef Michel Richard. Recipe originally from Julia Child's cookbook called Cooking with Master Chefs, published 1993. This is a very impressive dessert to end a meal. It is very easy to make as most of the recipe can be made ahead of time.

Check out more wonderful Chocolate Recipes and Candy Recipes.


Deep-Fried Chocolate Truffles

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
8 ounces heavy
cream or whipping cream
1/2 pound French bread, preferably stale
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup
sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for dusting)
3 eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Use a heavy serrated knife (or a chocolate chopper) to shave off shards of chocolate; these can then be chopped again with the knife, or transferred to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulsed briefly; be careful not to let the chocolate melt in the processor bowl. NOTE: Ganache can be lumpy if the chocolate is not chopped into very fine pieces before being combined with the hot cream. If the chocolate pieces are larger than 1/4 inch, they will not melt completely and the resulting ganache will have lumps.

Place chocolate pieces in a large bowl.

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream just to a slight boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate pieces and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir mixture in a slow, circular motion. The molten chocolate and cream will blend slowly, and then become smooth and glossy (this glossiness is a good sign that the suspension is stable. This is now called a "ganache."  When the ganache is first made, it is still too warm and soft for easy handling. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing the film onto the surface of the chocolate to prevent a thin skin from forming.

At this point, place ganache in the freezer for approximately 3 hours or until it is the consistency of modeling clay. Every 30 minutes give it a gentle stir to keep it from separating.

Line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with waxed paper and roll the ganache into small balls about 3/4-inch diameter and arrange them on the sheet pan. Put them back into the freezer for about an hour  (while you were working them, the chocolate began to melt and they must be stiff for the next step).

You will want the bread very dry for this. NOTE: If you have fresh bread, slice it very thin and place it in a barely warm oven for ten minutes until it feels dry. Use a food processor to grind the bread into crumbs, adding the sugar and cinnamon. You're looking for the consistency of kosher-salt.

Set three bowls out across your work surface, left-to-right (if you're right handed). In the 1st bowl you'll have the flour; in the 2nd bowl, the beaten eggs, and in the 3rd bowl, put about a quarter of the bread crumbs. As you progress, the crumbs will become contaminated with the eggs, so you'll want to freshen them with dry crumbs from the stock.

Using your left hand, take a piece of the ganache and roll it in the flour, and drop it into the egg. With your right hand, coat well with the egg, and transfer it to the bread-crumbs. Coat well and transfer to another half-sheet tray covered with waxed paper. After all the balls have been coated, repeat the process - flour, egg, bread-crumbs. At the end of the second coating they should be almost the size of a golf-ball. Back into the freezer for at least an hour, or even overnight. If you're going to keep them longer than that, put them on layers of waxed paper in a air-tight container.

When ready to serve, put vegetable oil into your fryer and bring it to 375 deg F. Fry two balls at a time. Transfer the cold truffles into the oil and let them fry for almost a whole minute. The coating will be golden brown and slightly hard (the sugar will be nicely caramelized). Let dry on paper-towels. Serve them while still hot.

Makes 3 dozen truffles.