Truffes Au Chocolat (Chocolate Truffles)
Submitted by bradbub
Classic French chocolate truffles (truffes au chocolat) made with four ingredients: chocolate, butter, cream and powdered sugar. Hand-rolled into balls and dusted with grated chocolate for the rustic earthy look truffles are named for.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
27 hrsReal French chocolate truffles are nothing more than chocolate, butter, fresh cream, and powdered sugar. No corn syrup, no compound coatings, no shortcuts. The truffes au chocolat get their name from the actual fungal truffle, which they’re meant to resemble: dark, irregular, slightly dusty looking from the cocoa or grated chocolate coating.
The four ingredients melt together in a double boiler until smooth, then powdered sugar gets sifted in slowly to prevent lumps. A 24-hour rest in a cool place (12 hours in winter) is non-negotiable; the ganache needs that long to firm up enough to scoop and roll.
The hand-rolling step is where the magic happens. The directions describe it perfectly: roll a small piece in your palm until the outside just begins to melt, then roll it in grated chocolate which sticks to the slightly softened surface. The heat of your hand is the binder.
Pro Tips
- Use a quality dark chocolate (at least 60% cacao). Cheap baking chocolate makes flat, dull truffles; good chocolate makes truffles taste like chocolate shop.
- Don’t let the water in the double boiler bottom touch the upper bowl. Direct contact overheats the chocolate and can cause it to seize.
- Sift the powdered sugar through a fine-mesh strainer. Lumps that go in won’t come out, and they’ll show up as gritty bits in the finished truffle.
- Serve at a slightly cool room temperature. As the directions note, truffles are better when slightly soft, not hard from the fridge.
Variations
- Add 1 tablespoon of dark rum, Cognac, or Grand Marnier to the warm mixture before chilling for a boozy version.
- Roll the finished truffles in unsweetened cocoa powder, finely chopped toasted nuts, or coconut flakes instead of grated chocolate.
- Add a quarter teaspoon of vanilla, espresso powder, or sea salt to the ganache for different flavour profiles.
Ingredients
Directions
Preparation: Put cream, butter and grated chocolate into a pan.
The chocolate need not be grated fine.
The cream can be replaced by skimming the top off raw milk poured into a wide basin and allowed to settle.
Melt butter, chocolate, and cream in a double boiler, stirring to mix well.
When melted, remove the double boiler from the fire, leaving the hot water in the bottom pan to keep it warm.
Sift the powdered sugar in slowly, so that it will not form lumps, stirring constantly.
Let stand 24 hr. in a cool place. (In winter, 12 hr. in a cold room will do.)
At the end of this time, cut a piece of this chocolate about the size of a small nut, using a knife or spoon.
Roll it into a ball in the palm of the hand until the outside of the bonbon begins to melt a little.
Then roll it in grated or granulated chocolate, which will stick to it perfectly.
Let stand 2 hr. before serving, but in a place that is not too cold, because these truffles are better when they are a little soft.
Instead of rolling them into balls, you can also shape them to look more like truffles.
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