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Recipe File: Chocolate Truffles
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Debra
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:19 am    Post subject: Chocolate Truffles Reply with quote

I'm right now in the process of making these truffles for a party tomorrow. So far, very easy and it tastes wonderful! I'm using "Callebaut Dark Chocolate 58%." I added 2 tablespoons of cognac to the ganache after the cream and chocolate were melted together. Now it has been in the fridge for about 2 hours, and it is still liquid, except on the sides of the bowl it is starting to harden slightly. Could it possibly take much longer, maybe overnight, to harden enough to form the truffles? It is a warm day here, but should that matter if it's in the fridge?
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Michael Chu



Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 1654
Location: Austin, TX (USA)

PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:14 am    Post subject: Re: Chocolate Truffles Reply with quote

Debra wrote:
Now it has been in the fridge for about 2 hours, and it is still liquid, except on the sides of the bowl it is starting to harden slightly.

Ganache should not be liquid once it returns to room temperature. Assuming you measured the ingredients properly (for 1 pound of chocolate with 1 cup heavy cream will make a pretty hard ganache - 1 pound of chocolate can take a lot more than 1 cup cream without a problem), the only thing that I can think of is the 2 Tbs. of cognac, but I would not expect such a small quantity to cause a problem. In the worst case, if the ganache continues to be liquidy, you can always use it as a luxurious topping to a dessert (like a brownie) or in/on a cake.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:05 am    Post subject: Help! Reply with quote

I have tried this recipe twice today, and neither attempts have worked for me! I first tried with milk chocolate, which I know think was my first problem, since there probably was too much milk in the mixture, and it never hardened. The second time I used Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate, and it still has not hardened even while being in the fridge for more than an hour! I followed the recipe step by step and am not sure why it is not hardening. All I am getting is a frosting-like sticky consistency product. Please send any advice as to why it is not working!! THANKS!
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Michael Chu



Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 1654
Location: Austin, TX (USA)

PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:34 am    Post subject: Re: Help! Reply with quote

Anonymous wrote:
I have tried this recipe twice today, and neither attempts have worked for me! I first tried with milk chocolate, which I know think was my first problem, since there probably was too much milk in the mixture, and it never hardened. The second time I used Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate, and it still has not hardened even while being in the fridge for more than an hour! I followed the recipe step by step and am not sure why it is not hardening. All I am getting is a frosting-like sticky consistency product. Please send any advice as to why it is not working!! THANKS!

Are you using Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Candy Bars or Hershey's Special Dark Baking Bars? The ingredient mix is a bit different. The candy bar probably won't work - you'll want to find a chocolate that simply has cocoa (or cacao) (solids and butter), sugar, and a little lecithin as it's ingredients. Anything more may not work well in a recipe designed for making chocolate candies. If the baking bar has excessive ingredients (like the candy bar) then look for another brand.

Oh, another tip: buy chocolate for recipes in the baking section of your grocery store instead of the chocolate/candy section. The chocolate there will be more "pure" and won't have additives that help make the chocolate taste better or melt better in the mouth that may adversely affect its performance in a recipe.
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guest
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:03 am    Post subject: variation Reply with quote

if you roll truffles in almond meal and dip in chocolate they turn out even better than ferrero rochers, i found the cocoa rolled truffles a bit dry but very chocolatey
thanx for the recipe
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Damien
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:40 am    Post subject: Whipping query - Help Reply with quote

Hi All,

I am hoping that someone can help me out here.

Where I come from there is either Heavy cream (with gelatin) or UHT whipping cream.

Which one do I use?

Thanks.
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Damien
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry guys, I was meaning to say thickened cream instead of heavy cream in the earlier msg.

Thanks.
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Michael Chu



Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 1654
Location: Austin, TX (USA)

PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Whipping query - Help Reply with quote

Damien wrote:
Where I come from there is either Heavy cream (with gelatin) or UHT whipping cream.

Use the UHT cream.
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Damien
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:29 am    Post subject: chocolate query Reply with quote

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your help.

The ganache did not turn out the way it was shown. This is my first time handling chocolate. Its probably something I did wrong along the way.

The chocolate mix did not set, instead it became curdled, and I saw a layer of oil on top of the mix. That was bad isn't it?

The chocolate bar i used was the lindt excellence 70% cocoa. Can this be used?

Look forward to hearing from you again.

Cheers
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Sugarhound



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2007 3:19 am    Post subject: Shelf Life Reply with quote

Hello all,

I was just wondering about the shelf life of these goodies. I am just starting to make truffles and I am really looking for something I am able to keep around for 2 months... possibly three. With the cream in this, I don't think it is a good idea to keep that long!! Wink Any ideas?

Thanks for all anticipated responses~

Jo
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skicutch
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:08 pm    Post subject: chocolate truffles Reply with quote

Truffles have an inner body (ganache) and an outer shell. The hard inner body is made of a combination of heavy cream and dark chocolate and the chocolate has at least a 45% chocolate liquor content (see label) and is considered semi-sweet. You can go up to 60% liquor but beyond that it becomes bittersweet. The ratio of chocolate to cream is 1 pound chocolate to 1 cup cream -- but you can make a creamier ganache by doubling the amount of cream when combining. Then refrigerate until the ganache is set and can be scooped or cut into pieces for enrobing with an outer shell.

The outer shell can also be made of melted chocolate that is tempered - i.e., the melted chocolate temperature is between 83F to 95F - the lower temperature ensures a thicker shell coating while the higher a thinner shell. Dipping is quite a highly labor intensive process unless you go into commercial.

Go on-line for chocolate bars sources - prices will vary but make sure the content includes only the chocolate liquor and sugar and nothing else!

I store my truffles by layers in a jar in the refrigerator for short time periods and in the freezer for longer (up to 1 year) but let them return to room temperature before serving.

Excellent basic source book author Alice Medrich - "Bittersweet". Smile
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:14 am    Post subject: Seized chocolate? Reply with quote

My boyfriend made the ganache for me earlier today and followed the directions on this site meticulously. He says that it looked perfectly smooth when he put it into the fridge to cool. Now that it's hardened, it has a slightly granular texture. Not inedible, but almost as though it's a million little individual ganache truffles that hit your tongue and melt. Not buttery and velvety, like it's supposed to be.

He tripled the batch and did it all in one go. Maybe that was just too much chocolate for the scalded cream to handle? The only thing going against this theory is that when I gently melted a small amount of the ganache in a bowl over hot water, it didn't come back together. That leads me to believe that it seized and that I just wasted $20 worth of chocolate and heavy cream.

He put foil over the bowl of ganache when he put it in the fridge. I was thinking that maybe condensation collected on the foil and dripped into the chocolate causing it to seize? The surface of the ganache wasn't marred at all, though.

For the record, he used Trader Joe's Pound Plus 72% dark chocolate.

Any ideas?
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ChocoChef
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

maybe try redoing it by adding some unsalted butter.
melt the butter, watch it not to burn.

get ganache you prepared earlier.
experiment on a small amount first.
put it in the microwave for a few seconds, being very careful not to burn it. take it out then add the butter little by little. just work on it by feeling the mixture until it is velvety smooth. the secret here is the technique of mixing it properly to attain the smooth mixture. then put in the refrigerator to firm it again. scoop. roll. coat. let me know how it turns up Smile
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Damien
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi again,

Couple of batches of ganache that i made turn out having this layer of fat/oil after it was set. and it doesn't make it smooth anymore when i eat it.

Any way to not have the fats come out during the cooling process?

Cheers
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dob
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 4:30 pm    Post subject: butter in ganache recipe Reply with quote

several truffle recipes, including one from the Valrhona chocolate website, include butter in the ganache. any ideas on the difference made in the taste, texture by including butter? what about shelf life?
thanks
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