This chocolate truffles recipe features deep, dark chocolate ganache centers dipped in a thin outer shell of bittersweet chocolate. Your choice of chocolate will greatly affect the outcome of these truffles, not only in taste but in texture as well. Particularly for the outer coating, we recommend that you use a couverture chocolate, which is a chocolate with high cocoa-butter content. This will give it the fluidity that you need to create nice thin shells that shatter perfectly with each bite yielding to the creamy center. The contrast of the such different textures is one of great pleasures of these truffles. Try Scharffen Berger Bittersweet 70%, Valrhona Extra-Bitter 61% or Guittard Semisweet 61% or Guittard Onyx 72% for a great result.
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- 2 pounds plus 2 ounces bittersweet couverture chocolate, very finely chopped, divided
- Dutch-processed cocoa
- 90 small fluted paper cups (optional)
- Place cream in two-quart-wide saucepan and heat over medium heat just until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle 1 pound chocolate into cream. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes; the heat should melt the chocolate. Stir very gently (you don’t want to incorporate air) until smooth.
- Pour mixture, now called a ganache, into a shallow bowl; cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool at room temperature, preferably overnight, or until firm enough to roll.
- Coat your hands with cocoa and roll ganache into ¾-inch balls. These should be as round as possible, but do not fret about them being perfect. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until very firm.
- Temper the remaining chocolate. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny side up, smoothing out any wrinkles. Have two forks handy for the following technique: drop one truffle into the tempered chocolate. Use one fork to help it submerge, then scoop same fork underneath the truffle (do not pierce it) and remove from tempered chocolate. Toss it back and forth from one fork to the other encouraging excess chocolate to drip off. Let the truffle settle onto one fork and tap it against the side of the pot holding the chocolate to remove as much extra chocolate as possible. Gently place on prepared pan and repeat with remaining truffles. Top each truffle with a pinch of cocoa, if desired. Refrigerate until firm. Place in fluted paper cups, if using. May be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy at room temperature.
Bakepedia Tips
- Note that the Guittard 61% is called “semisweet” but we feel it has more of a “bittersweet,” flavor and its high cacao content is more aligned with that end of the chocolate spectrum.
- If chocolate isn’t melting, you can heat the mixture in the saucepan over very low heat taking care not to let it get too hot or burn.
- If you have time we like to rest the ganache overnight at cool room temperature. This allows flavors and textures to fully develop. If you are in a hurry, you may refrigerate ganache until it is firm enough to roll, about 4 hours.
- Make sure that your truffles are at room temperature for serving. This allows for the flavors and textures to be optimal.
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