Sunday, December 23, 2012

Chocolate Truffles

I've never made truffles before and was a little intimidated, but this recipe was super easy.  I made two kinds of truffles.  Each batch makes 18-24 truffles.  I got the recipe from the food network magazine.  It had a "mix and match" type layout that I'll replicate here.

Image by Jason Hedlund

1.  Make the ganache:  Chop 12 ounces good-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl.  Bring 1 cup heavy cream, 1 Tbsp butter and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; pour over the chocolate and let sit until completely melted, about 10 minutes.  Stir with a rubber spatula or whisk until smooth. (If necessary, microwave in 20-second intervals until the chocolate melts.)
2.  Choose a flavor: Whisk in 1 tsp vanilla extract, or 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp of one of these extracts: Almond, Orange, Cinnamon, Mint, Raspberry, or Cherry.
3.  Add a mix-in (optional): Stir in up to 1/4 cup of 1 of these: Brewed espresso, strong brewed tea, liquor ot liqueur, peanut, almond or hazelnut butter, or shredded coconut.
4.  Chill the ganache: Stir the ganache until smooth and shiny, then pour into a shallow baking dish and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
5.  Pick a coating: Roll Tbsps of the ganache into 18-24 balls, then roll in any of the following ingredients: crushed cookies, chopped nuts, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, crushed nut brittle, or crushed toffee bars.  Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until film, at least 1 hour or overnight.  (To make these in advance, roll into balls but do not coat; cover and freeze up to 2 weeks.  Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before uncovered, then roll in coatings.)

Recipe 1 we tried:
dark Chocolate
orange extract
triple sec
rolled in cocoa powder

Recipe 2 we tried:
semisweet chocolate
peanut butter
rolled in crushed oreos

Beth's Rating: 9/10
Jason's Rating: 9/10 (dark) and 8/10 (semisweet)

Nutrition:
60 calories
6g fat (3g saturated)
15mg cholesterol
25mg sodium
3g carbohydrates
0g fiber
2g sugar
0g protein

No comments:

Post a Comment