Tried and true chocolate truffle recipe

[chefematician]

Title pretty much says it all. I did a search and nothing came up. Mostly suggestions about what to add to truffles but no recipes or tips on how to make them. I'm usually a savory cook, sometimes a baker but never a candy maker. I want to make a batch of chocolate truffles today. I know that the filling should be a modified ganache of sorts (I'd like to add liquor too) and that the outside should be tempered chocolate but I'm clueless when it comes to proportions and technique. I looked at the Alton Brown recipe for truffles on the Food Network website and its reviews are mixed. Does anyone have a relatively easy recipe that they've tried with good results? My valentine (and I) thank you very much!!!!

[Norm Man]

Check out Barefoot Contesa Ina Garten's Truffle Recipes. Both recipes are labeled as "Easy."

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chocolate-truffles-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/in...

[chefematician]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I look forward to trying these out!

[Hank Hanover]

I will show you how to make hand rolled truffles. Molded truffles are far lighter than mine and require more skill. Your 1st attempt should be hand rolled. I am going to give you 3 recipes for the ganache centers of truffles. You can dip them in cocoa powder, chopped nuts, coconut or even corn flakes. I dip them in chocolate but I have a tempering machine. You can dip them if you very gently melt pre-tempered chocolate and keep it below 110 degrees or so. An electric heating pad on low, wrapped around a metal mixing bowl would work. Some of my recipes call for flavoring drops. They aren't necessary but I use loran flavor oils. A pound of chocolate makes enough ganache for about 48 truffles using a #70 disher (looks like a small ice cream scoop).

Use care on the white chocolate/ peanut butter ganache. Overstirring will cause the peanut butter to separate and then you will have a layer of oil on your ganache (definitely not "good eats"

You can use whatever liqueur you like. On the dark chocolate I use a mix of orange and almond liqueurs. You could use either one by themselves or raspberry works well with dark chocolate. Ameretto works very well with white chocolate.

Dark Chocolate

Chocolate 16 oounces
Cream 7 ounces (14 Tbls)
Butter 3.5 Tbls
Liqueur 4 Tbls
Corn syrup 1 Tbl
Flavoring 4 drops

White Chocolate

Chocolate 16 ounces
Cream 3.5 ounces (7 Tbls)
Butter 3 Tbls
Liqueur 4 Tbls
Flavoring 4 drops

Melt chocolate in microwave with 30 second bursts on level 8.
Heat cream in pot to about 180.
Combine cream, corn syrup, and chocolate and stir together until blended.
Add liqueur and flavor drops. Stir.
Let set until about 85 degrees.
Add butter 1 pat at a time
Whip
allow to set up in refrigerator at least 2 hours.

White Chocolate/Peanut Butter

Chocolate 16 ounces
Cream 9 ounces (18 Tbls)
Peanut Butter 8 ounces (16 Tbls)

Melt chocolate in microwave with 30 second bursts on level 6.
Heat cream in pot to about 180.
Combine cream and chocolate and stir together until blended.
Stir until combined.
Add peanut butter & stir. Minimize the stirring to prevent separation
Let set until about 85 degrees.
Whip
Allow to set up in refrigerator at least 2 hours.

[Hank Hanover]

On that white chocolate peanut butter ganache. I wouldn't whip it at all, 85 degrees or not. Sorry.

[mickeygee]

I will admidt to being a lazy truffle maker and not doing the whole tempered chocolate part. I use the basic recipe of 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream to 9 ounces high–quality bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped. Then I heat the cream, add my flavorings (I've done 3 tsp earl grey tea leaves; 1.5 tsp thyme & 1.5 tsp fresh lemon juice & 1 tsp lemon peel; or 2 tsp of various liquors) and then add the chocolate, remove from heat and let cool till it's a good ganache consistency. Then I use a small ice cream scoop, make little balls and roll in cocoa powder. Or coconut, or chopped nuts. I don't have the patience for tempering and dipping in the chocolate again. But honestly, I've made these for gifts many years, and everyone loves them even if they don't have that snap of a coating.

Good luck with the truffle adventure. It's lots of fun!

[rainey]

Alice Medrich's truffles are delicious. Just delicious. And she doesn't temper anything by design. She says that untempered chocolate melts readily at the temperature of your mouth so the pleasure of the flavor is instantaneous.

Her truffles need to be kept refrigerated. No prob. They'll keep in there for a couple weeks (if you can resist them that long). They'll freeze and keep in the freezer even longer.

For the truffles:

10 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream, scalded
1/4 cup flavoring such as vanilla extract or the liqueur of your choice

For enrobing:

2 pounds of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped and melted

Bet you know the drill. Make the ganache. Freeze it to make it very firm and workable. Scoop out truffle-sized bits and roll them into balls. Hold in the fridge while enrobing chocolate melts.

Dip the truffles to coat in melted untempered chocolate. Roll in cocoa powder or whatever other exterior coating you prefer. Put in the fridge to set up the enrobing chocolate.

Store in the fridge until serving time. Take them out just before serving to come up to room temp. Return any left overs to fridge for storage.

You can also halve the quantities and, if you prefer, skip the enrobing and just roll them in something that keeps your fingers clean while you bite into the rolled ganache.

[Harters]

This one. Been using it for years (as with all Delia's recipes - they might not be the most cutting edge cooking but they always work)

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/ty...