Sunday, September 14, 2014

Chocolate Truffle Confections

I've been on a candy kick. Typically, I hate 'candy.' Sour patch kids (where are the sour patch parents?), twizzlers (licorice in any form), starbursts (anything that removes teeth)... none of it ever appealed to me.

But chocolate? That is another matter entirely.

Here are two very different recipes for truffles, a classic confection. The first is a firmer truffle. The second is almost pillowy soft. Both recipes require a little patience; a lot of chilling and waiting is involved, but the wait is worth it. Both recipes were published originally in years-old issues of Bon Apetit magazine, but I've modified them slightly after some experimenting.


Pillowy soft Balsamic Truffles coated in cocoa powder

Balsamic Truffles
yield: about 24 truffles

1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar

9oz dark chocolate, chopped

cocoa powder for coating

Bring cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, stir 7 ounces (not exact) in metal bowl over simmering water until melted. Stir in remaining 2 ounces of chocolate to temper. Stir until smooth.

Add the balsamic vinegar to the lukewarm cream and stir the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Taste and add more balsamic vinegar if you want a little extra punch. Otherwise, chill until firm enough to roll, about 3 hours.

Roll about 2 tsp of truffle base into balls. Place on a plate to chill. Once cold, coat with cocoa powder and transfer to a plate. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Enjoy!


Earl Grey truffles coated in toasted almonds

Earl Grey Truffles
yield: about 24 truffles

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
3 Earl Grey teabags
8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tbsp orange curacao (optional, and other liqueurs may be used*)
1/8 tsp salt

1/2 sliced almonds, toasted, for coating

Empty the tea from the tea bags in a small bowl. Bring the cream and sugar to just a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot cream directly over the tea. Cover and let steep 20 minutes.

In another small saucepan heat the butter and chocolate together over low heat until melted and smooth. Careful not to overheat. Transfer to medium bowl.

Once the cream has steeped, sieve the cream, to remove the tea leaves, into the chocolate mixture. Stir to combine. Add the curacao and salt, stirring to combine. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

Roll about 2 tsp of the truffle base into balls. Place on a parchment-paper lined tray and chill until firm, about an hour. Coat in toasted almonds or cocoa powder. Chill until firm again, about 1 hour. Enjoy!

*Originally, this was a substitution out of necessity. The recipe called for brandy, but I felt the orange notes of the curacao would marry well with the bergamot in the Earl Grey tea, and I was very pleased with the results.

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