Published November 1, 1997.
Chocolate truffles have been tarted up with most every ingredient in the baker's pantry. Here's how to keep things simple, showcasing the deep, pure flavor of chocolate.
Though the ingredients that go into a perfect truffle are few, it can be difficult to put them together in just the right way. Problems can arise at several key points of the assembly process: in mixing the center mixture, or "filling" (the ganache), in whipping it after cooling, and in shaping and coating the truffles.
We wanted to come up with a method that would take the risks and the guesswork out of truffle making.
Although some confectioners make ganache out of only chocolate and cream, we found that butter helps with both flavor and texture. Because butter has a lower melting temperature than chocolate, the mouthfeel of truffles that contain butter is a little more delicate. Corn syrup is sometimes used to promote smoothness in glazing and spreading ganache, and we found that a couple of tablespoons did make the ganache smoother and creamier. Liquor is the easiest and most common flavoring used in truffles. Some confectioners recommend adding an extra ounce of chocolate for each ounce of alcohol to counteract the diluting effects of the alcohol. We found this to be good advice. Because the chocolate in the coating used in this recipe has not been fully tempered, or stabilized, it will not set to a smooth sheen but instead turns an unappetizing gray color. This makes it necessary to roll the chocolate-covered truffles in a coating. Cocoa, finely ground, toasted nuts, or grated chocolate are good choices.
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