Classic Truffles
Nowadays almost everything in the market is called a truffle, suggesting rich, decadent chocolate. However, contrary to popular belief, the truffle is actually a very specific chocolate "candy". It actually is a small ball of chocolate ganache, surrounded with a hard chocolate shell, dusted (traditionally) with 
cocoa powder. The classic truffle usually looks slightly misshapen and in all honesty, kind of ugly.
The story behind the ugly?
Back in the days of French King Louis the something (XIV?) the King got what the King wanted or it was off with your head. One night the King demanded a lavish, extravagant meal somehow involving truffles (the fungus - very expensive, sniffed out by trained pigs). The chef, unable to get a hold of any truffles (fungus), feared for his life and in a stroke of genius, decided to make a chocolate candy that resembled the fungus' appearance, served it for dessert, and lived to see another day. Now kids, don't go writing a history paper based on this story. But you get the general idea.
Yield: 120 truffles
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ganache
75g (2.8oz) Milk
175g (6.2oz) Heavy Cream
75g (2.8oz) Butter
85g (3oz) Inverted Sugar **See note below
1 Vanilla Bean
425g (14oz) Chocolate 70%
More chocolate for dipping
Cocoa Powder
Method:
1. Melt the chocolate over a bain marie, translated: "water bath" (or double boiler). A glass or stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water works just fine if you don't have a double boiler.
Water should be just simmering. (Melt chocolate but don't heat over 45°C!)
2. Split vanilla bean into another pot with milk, cream, butter and inverted sugar. Bring to a boil & infuse the vanilla. Let cool slightly.
3. Mix cream mixture into chocolate, incorporating as little air as possible, until smooth in consistency, nice and even.
Cover with plastic (making contact with the ganache so a film doesn't set).
4. Let set (over lunch or for a couple of hours until pipable).
5. Pipe (#13 tip) quarter size rounds on parchment on a sheet pan. Let sit overnight (wrap sheet pan with plastic once set). Letting piped ganache set overnight means will crystallize, easier to roll.
6. Rolling Truffles: Make a ball, then pinch with both hands thumb and forefinger to represent truffle mushroom’s imperfect shape. Doesn’t need to be uniform. Use powdered sugar if sticking to hands.
7. Melt more chocolate (again not over 45°C) and spread cocoa powder in sheet pan.
8. Dip once (with gloves in one hand moving around so truffle doesn’t have too much coating or with a fork or chocolate dipper, if available), let set on sheet pan while finishing batch.
9. For this part it's easier if you have a partner to help: dip once more and drop onto cocoa powder sheet pan. Partner covers truffle with cocoa powder using a fork.
10. Then put truffles in a sifter (after its set & dry) to dust off excess cocoa powder.
I went to the Container Store and bought these little boxes for less than a dollar each and put my truffles in them to give away as presents. Super cute, super easy! Truffles should be consumed within two weeks to guarantee freshness and quality.
**If you aren't able to readily buy inverted sugar (check your local specialty store or baking equipment/supplies store) here's a recipe on how to make it yourself:
Inverted Sugar
Inverted sugar is table sugar (sucrose) that has been split into its components, glucose and fructose.
4 lbs sugar
1 pint water
1/4 tsp lemon juice or cream of tartar
Boil for half an hour, then add enough water to make total volume a half gallon.
cocoa powder. The classic truffle usually looks slightly misshapen and in all honesty, kind of ugly.The story behind the ugly?
Back in the days of French King Louis the something (XIV?) the King got what the King wanted or it was off with your head. One night the King demanded a lavish, extravagant meal somehow involving truffles (the fungus - very expensive, sniffed out by trained pigs). The chef, unable to get a hold of any truffles (fungus), feared for his life and in a stroke of genius, decided to make a chocolate candy that resembled the fungus' appearance, served it for dessert, and lived to see another day. Now kids, don't go writing a history paper based on this story. But you get the general idea.
Yield: 120 truffles
Ingredients:
Vanilla Ganache
75g (2.8oz) Milk
175g (6.2oz) Heavy Cream
75g (2.8oz) Butter
85g (3oz) Inverted Sugar **See note below
1 Vanilla Bean
425g (14oz) Chocolate 70%
More chocolate for dipping
Cocoa Powder
Method:
1. Melt the chocolate over a bain marie, translated: "water bath" (or double boiler). A glass or stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water works just fine if you don't have a double boiler.
Water should be just simmering. (Melt chocolate but don't heat over 45°C!)
2. Split vanilla bean into another pot with milk, cream, butter and inverted sugar. Bring to a boil & infuse the vanilla. Let cool slightly.
3. Mix cream mixture into chocolate, incorporating as little air as possible, until smooth in consistency, nice and even.
Cover with plastic (making contact with the ganache so a film doesn't set).
4. Let set (over lunch or for a couple of hours until pipable).
5. Pipe (#13 tip) quarter size rounds on parchment on a sheet pan. Let sit overnight (wrap sheet pan with plastic once set). Letting piped ganache set overnight means will crystallize, easier to roll.
6. Rolling Truffles: Make a ball, then pinch with both hands thumb and forefinger to represent truffle mushroom’s imperfect shape. Doesn’t need to be uniform. Use powdered sugar if sticking to hands.
7. Melt more chocolate (again not over 45°C) and spread cocoa powder in sheet pan.
8. Dip once (with gloves in one hand moving around so truffle doesn’t have too much coating or with a fork or chocolate dipper, if available), let set on sheet pan while finishing batch.
9. For this part it's easier if you have a partner to help: dip once more and drop onto cocoa powder sheet pan. Partner covers truffle with cocoa powder using a fork.
10. Then put truffles in a sifter (after its set & dry) to dust off excess cocoa powder.
I went to the Container Store and bought these little boxes for less than a dollar each and put my truffles in them to give away as presents. Super cute, super easy! Truffles should be consumed within two weeks to guarantee freshness and quality.
**If you aren't able to readily buy inverted sugar (check your local specialty store or baking equipment/supplies store) here's a recipe on how to make it yourself:
Inverted Sugar
Inverted sugar is table sugar (sucrose) that has been split into its components, glucose and fructose.
4 lbs sugar
1 pint water
1/4 tsp lemon juice or cream of tartar
Boil for half an hour, then add enough water to make total volume a half gallon.
Labels: chocolate
posted by Winnie at
2:58 PM
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