When making any truffles you should use the very best chocolate you can find and afford. Take a close look and you will see that this chocolate truffles recipe is really made from two ingredients: chocolate and cream (the cocoa is an embellishment). It stands to reason that the flavor and quality of both ingredients is paramount. For this recipe we like to use chocolate with at least 60% cacao mass, such as Scharffen Berger Bittersweet 70%, Callebaut bittersweet, or Valrhona Extra-Bitter 61%. The informal outer coating of cocoa powder makes these particularly easy to make, and gives them a visual similarity to “real” fungus truffles. Also, because these are meant to mimic the nature-made ones, they do not have to be perfectly round. In fact round-ish is even better as they will look more organic and authentic. Coat some in natural cocoa and some in Dutch-processed for an interesting visual assortment, if you are so inclined.
- 1⅔ cups heavy cream
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped (between 60 and 70% cacao mass)
- Dutch-processed cocoa
- Natural cocoa
- 80 small fluted paper cups (optional)
- Place cream in a two-quart-wide saucepan and heat over medium heat just until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle 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 to 1-inch balls. They should be round-ish, but do not have to be perfect.
- Toss truffles in one or the other cocoa. Place in fluted paper cups, if desired. May be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy at room temperature.
Bakepedia Tips
- If chocolate isn’t melting, place the saucepan over very low heat and stir until smooth, but take care not to let it get too hot or burn.
- You may refrigerate ganache until it is firm enough to roll, about 4 hours, to hasten this step. If you have time, we prefer the overnight rest at cool room temperature, as this allows flavors and textures to develop that are absent from the quick-chill approach.
- Serving at room temperature is vital in order to fully experience the velvety texture and intense aromas of your truffles.
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