Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate (good quality)100ml full cream
30g butter
Unsweetened cocoa powder (for coating)
Optional: grated coconut, crushed hazelnuts, or icing sugar for decoration
Instructions:
Preparing the ganache:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the liquid cream until boiling.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring so that the chocolate begins to melt.
Focus gently with a spatula until you obtain a smooth and shiny ganache.
Add the butter cut into small pieces and mix until well incorporated. This will give the truffles a more melting and silky texture.
Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm enough to shape.
Shaping the truffles:
Once the ganache is firm, take small portions of ganache with a teaspoon and form balls with your hands (you can wear gloves to prevent the ganache from melting too much with the heat of your hands).
Roll each ball in cocoa powder or any other coating of your choice (grated coconut, crushed hazelnuts, icing sugar, etc.).
Storage:
Place the truffles in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
Remove the truffles 10 to 15 minutes before serving so that they are at room temperature and melt.
History of Chocolate truffles:
The chocolate truffle got its start in France in 1895. Pastry chef Louis Dufour combined chocolate and cream in very specific ratios to create the delicious creamy center called ganache. He then rolled the ganache into balls and dusted them with cocoa powder. The shape of the final product reminded people of the mushrooms that grow underground, and the name "truffle" stuck.
Antoine Dufour, a relative of the creator, is credited with the truffle crossing borders to become the international delight it remains today. He took the recipe to England in 1902 and opened a chocolate shop that remains to this day. This London shop was just the beginning, as other stores around the country soon also started offering truffles. While they were originally for the rich only due to the cost of importing cocoa beans, as the price of ingredients dropped the truffle became known to the masses.
When is a Truffle a Truffle?
Whether a particular chocolate is a truffle depends on who you ask. For some, it only matters that the candy have a ganache center, as it was this combination of chocolate and cream that made truffles different in the first place. Others insist that in order to be a truffle, the ganache must then be coated in chocolate powder. These traditionalists scoff at the idea of an outer hard chocolate coating. It's not that they don't like these other candies, they just don't call them truffles.
At the very least, to be a truffle there must be a ganache center. No matter which side you take in the coating debate, if the center ganache isn't made from chocolate and cream, you are not eating a truffle.
Comments
Post a Comment