Chocolate truffles are a rich, elegant candy that are a dessert in themselves. One or two are decadent enough to satisfy even the sweetest tooth.
Making truffles is easier than the finished product suggests. In this recipe, the chocolate ganache is formed into a ball, chilled, and then coated with a thin layer of chocolate, which hardens into a soft shell. It's a messy but fun way to make chocolate candy.
Plain chocolate truffles are rich enough. If you want flavored truffles, add a dash of flavored liqueur or extract. For variety, divide the recipe and make some flavored and others plain.
Truffles are an elegant holiday treat for guests, especially when served on a chocolate truffle tree as an edible centerpiece.
Chocolate Truffles
- 36 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 1/8 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
Optional flavorings:
- 2 tablespoons liqueur, such as Cognac or Frangelica
- 1 teaspoon extracts, such as mint, orange or almond
Optional coatings:
- Finely chopped walnuts
- Coconut
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder, the best quality available
To make the ganache, place 24 ounces of chocolate and the cream in the top of a double boiler or a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until melted. Remove from the heat and add butter. If you are adding a liqueur, extract or flavoring, add that now. Stir until combined and smooth.
Pour ganache into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the ganache is very cold and set, but still pliable, about 2-3 hours.
Melt remaining 12 ounces of chocolate in the top of the double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon ganache in drops onto the baking sheets in whatever size you desire. (If you are displaying and serving truffles on a truffle tree, make varying sizes of truffles; larger balls for the bottom rows and smaller balls for the top rows.) Chill in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes until moldable. Remove from refrigerator and roll into balls. Refrigerate another 10-15 minutes.
To coat the chocolate balls with the top layer of chocolate, coat the palm of one of your hands with about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate. Roll balls, one at a time, between your palms until evenly coated with chocolate. Set on the second baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chocolate balls, coating your palm with more melted chocolate as needed.
If you want to add a coating of cocoa, chopped walnuts, coconut or powered sugar, roll the chocolate balls in one of the coatings and set back on the baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Truffles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about two weeks.
Makes about 5 dozen chocolate truffles.
