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Chocolate Truffles

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Chocolate truffles are traditionally made with ganache shaped into rough spheres by hand and covered in cocoa powder. The powdery coating and imperfect shaping of the confections make them appear similar to dirt covered truffles - the famed culinary fungi. Chocolate truffles are easy to prepare at home and make irresistible desserts that will make you a welcome guest at any holiday party.

Even though the center of a truffle is traditionally ganache, truffles can be made with a variety of fillings ranging from nuts to caramel to nougat. When not made with ganache, these truffles are generally coated in a thin shell of hard chocolate. The truffles in this recipe will be made with a ganache center.

Ganache is simply a mixture of chocolate and cream. For the centers of these truffles, we'll make hard ganache - utilizing significantly more chocolate than cream. A ratio of about 2 to 1 of chocolate to cream by mass will yield a dense ganache appropriate for making truffles.

Obtain 1 pound (455 g) of dark chocolate and 1 cup (235 mL) heavy whipping cream. Be sure to select a chocolate that you enjoy the flavor of.


Cut the chocolate into pieces using a large serrated knife (like a sturdy bread knife). Cutting the chocolate into strips about 5 mm apart with the serrated knife will cause the chocolate to break into small pieces. Pieces of chocolate will fall all over the place, so I like to place the cutting board in a sheet pan to catch the chocolate shards.


After breaking down the whole pound of chocolate, you should have a bunch of similarly sized pieces. Small, uniformly sized pieces will make melting the chocolate evenly easier. Pour all the pieces into a medium heat proof bowl.


Bring the cup of heavy whipping cream just to a boil. (This is called scalding.)


Pour the scalded heavy cream onto the chocolate and allow it to sit for five minutes.


Stir the now melted chocolate with the cream. Chocolate and small amounts of aqueous solutions (liquids containing water) do not mix well - the chocolate clumps up in what is called seizing. However, when a substantial amount of liquid is added to the chocolate, we can make chocolate syrup. A ganache is simply a syrup of chocolate and cream that does not contain enough cream to be liquid at room temperature. Once this mixture cools, it will form a hard ganache that can be molded into shapes.


The melted ganache should be smooth in texture without lumps. If not all the chocolate has melted, you can heat the ganache gently over a hot pot of water. Stir until the chocolate melts and the ganache is smooth.


You can transfer the ganache into a smaller bowl to cool. When the ganache is solid, it may be easier for you to scoop out when working with a smaller bowl. Let the ganache cool down and chill for about an hour in the refrigerator to harden. Cold ganache is harder to scoop, but easier to form into a ball.


Using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop (such as a #70), scoop out balls of hard ganache and place on a cookie sheet lined with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. As the ganache gets warmer, it will have a tendency to stick to the scooping device. You might find it easier to work with after rechilling the ganache, dipping the utensil in ice water, or simply using your hands to form rough spheres.


After forming all the balls, chill the pan in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes to allow the ganache to harden back up and set into their shapes.


Scoop a little cocoa powder into a small bowl. Use a pair of spoons to pick up and roll each ganache ball in the cocoa powder to coat.


If you prefer a hard chocolate shell, then you'll need to melt and temper some chocolate (usually, a couple ounces will be more than enough to coat the truffles). Once the chocolate has been tempered, use a spatula to spread some onto the palm of one hand. Place the ball of ganache into the layer of chocolate and rotate, coating the ball. Place the truffle on a sheet of parchment paper or silicone baking mat or other nonstick surface for it to cool and set. Repeat the spreading of chocolate on the palm and coating for each truffle. The tempered chocolate will shrink slightly as it cools and clad itself to the ganache. Because of this shrinking action, if it cools too rapidly, the shell can crack, so don't immediately chill them in the refrigerator - allow the truffles to set in a cool room. The ganache should also be allowed to warm up a bit before you coat them. After the chocolate has hardened, chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator and then remove and store at room temperature. The chocolate coated truffles should not be allowed to touch each other (touching the truffles together can mar the hard surface of the truffles) - so divide them with small paper cups or paper muffin liners.


The cocoa dusted truffles can be packed together without harm. These truffles can be stored at cool room temperature in an airtight container for at least a month - but good luck keeping them from being eaten for that long!



Chocolate Truffles (yields about 32 to 36 truffles)
1 lb. (455 g) dark chocolatecut into small piecespour onto chocolatewait 5 min.stir until smoothchillform into ballsdust
1 cup (235 mL) heavy whipping creamscald
cocoa powder

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Written by Michael Chu
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184 comments on Chocolate Truffles:(Post a comment)

On November 18, 2006 at 10:08 AM, Raspberry (guest) said...
Subject: Interesting Recipe
That is an intreseting receipe.. I might try it today.. Thank you


On November 18, 2006 at 02:52 PM, jen (guest) said...
I experimented with ganache to frost some cakes over the summer. I was hoping for it to be pourable. I started with 300g or dark chocolate, a small pat of butter and 1 cup of cream. it was not pourable, so I tried another half cup of milk, and to my surprise, it was thicker, so I ended up spreading.

it wasn't the look I was going for, but it was delicious. it retained the dark chocolate taste, even with all the cream, but it was lighter, more delicate.

Perhaps since I had more liquid, the chocolate melted more easily, but I found fairly coars pieces of broken chocolate had no problem melting.


On November 18, 2006 at 11:37 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Chocolate shelled truffles?
I guess I'm really dumb to ask this question but..do people coat the chocolate shelled truffles with cocoa powder? or only the plain ganache ones get the cocoa powder coating treatment?


On November 19, 2006 at 12:47 AM, DarkAeons said...
You can do both, but I'd suggest you sprinkle cocoa powder over the hard-shelled ones. By the way, I'm going to try those as soon as I get my hands on a pound of dark chocolate, and pour in some Grand Marnier ;)


On November 19, 2006 at 12:57 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Chocolate shelled truffles?
Anonymous wrote:
do people coat the chocolate shelled truffles with cocoa powder? or only the plain ganache ones get the cocoa powder coating treatment?

I usually only coat the ganache in cocoa powder. Most truffles I've seen are either/or, but it is quite possible to coat with hard chocolate and then with a dusting of cocoa powder - but the cocoa powder won't stick all that well and it's a shame to cover up the chocolate coating...


On November 19, 2006 at 04:21 AM, kayenne (guest) said...
Subject: truffle ideas
other suggestions for pretty truffles:

for great contrast and flavor:

- use icing/confectioner's/powdered sugar for rolling the dark chocolate ganache

- use white chocolate in place of dark, in making ganache balls, then roll in unsweetened cocoa powder

- tint white chocolate ganache with paste or gel food color, then roll in powdered sugar. if you make red and green, looks great on the christmas spread! pink for valentine's or sweet sixteen!

- roll in grated desiccated coconut or chopped unsalted roasted nuts, instead of cocoa powder.

- if you dip the ganache balls in melted dark chocolate, instead of cocoa powder, melt some white chocolate and drizzle on top and vice versa.

- for an elegant dinner party, use the melted dark chocolate coating, then buy some edible gold and silver powder from baking specialty shops and dust over.

- add a piece of unsalted, roasted nut or dried fruit in the center of each ganache for a sweet surprise.

- white scalding the cream, infuse with vanilla (split beans or extract) or other flavors like grated orange rind(great with milk chocolate ganache), instant coffee powder is great with dark chocolate; cayenne powder for the adventurous!

- for grown-up parties, a tablespoon or two of bailey's, kahlua, grand marnier, cherry brandy, tequila rose, etc., in the melted ganache will give an extra kick. DarkAeons' right on the mark! remember to use good liqueur!

i can feel the pounds coming on...


On November 19, 2006 at 09:34 AM, SusanHarper said...
I will try tomorrow for the birthday of my daughter.

A good dessert for the afternoon snack of the childrens.

Best regards.

Susan


On November 19, 2006 at 06:13 PM, Ange (guest) said...
Subject: Truffles
I just made my first ever batch of truffles this weekend & they were wickedly delicious, I will post them up soon. My recipe also included butter & stated taht would keep for up to 2 days - i wonder if the butter makes them last less than the month you suggest. Anyway no probs in eating them as I have brought them into the office for a treat to all.

Ange - http://viciousange.blogspot.com/


On November 20, 2006 at 09:29 PM, Dot (guest) said...
Subject: Truffles
Perhaps another dumb question...
Where does one get "truffle quality" dark chocolate?


On November 20, 2006 at 10:17 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Truffles
Dot wrote:
Where does one get "truffle quality" dark chocolate?

Any dark chocolate that you enjoy eating will work well for this recipe.


On November 21, 2006 at 01:20 PM, Sasha (guest) said...
Subject: storing chocolates
I was wondering about storing chocolate candies made with milk products. I made a ganache but was not sure whether it would be able to stay at room temperature or would have to be refrigerated.

What are the rules for safely storing chocolates made with perishable ingredients?

Thanks!


On November 21, 2006 at 02:05 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: storing chocolates
Sasha wrote:
I was wondering about storing chocolate candies made with milk products. I made a ganache but was not sure whether it would be able to stay at room temperature or would have to be refrigerated.

What are the rules for safely storing chocolates made with perishable ingredients?

With this ratio of chocolate to cream, it should be able to be stored at cool room temperature (65°F) in an airtight container for one month.


On November 21, 2006 at 04:57 PM, Bojaz (guest) said...
Michael, what kind of camera do you use? Your pics come out nice and warm.

Love the site, I check it often.


On November 21, 2006 at 08:36 PM, Michael Chu said...
Bojaz wrote:
Michael, what kind of camera do you use? Your pics come out nice and warm.

I started the site using a point and shoot Canon S300. After a few months, I switched to a Nikon D100 when enabled me to use my Nikon SLR lenses. From 2004 to late 2006, I used the Nikon D100 and last month moved to a Nikon D200 which gives me a little more flexibility in working with raw files for post capture color balance processing. (The D100's write speeds were so slow that shooting raw files would be intolerable.)

These days, I try to take many of the pictures with natural light which gives the food a pleasant appearance as opposed to the flat, flash pictures that I used to provide in the articles.


On November 23, 2006 at 07:45 PM, sirpaul484 said...
That definitely looks like a great recipe. Somewhat plain, but it looks easy to modify (i.e. add some rum to the cream, cinnamon to the cocoa powder, et cetera). I am definitely going to try it as-is, and then see if I can tweak it a bit.


On November 24, 2006 at 01:25 AM, Mike (guest) said...
Subject: Truffles
I made them for Thanksgiving, and they were delicious. Highly recomended and incredibly easy to make.


On November 30, 2006 at 09:46 AM, MissJubilee (guest) said...
Subject: Delicious truffles
I just finished a batch of these truffles, and they turned out great! I also appreciated your recipe for Pumpkin Pie, it came out OK for Thanksgiving though I had to adjust the time and temperature in my little toaster oven. The cream for the truffles was left over from that recipe. Only 2/3 cup was left, which was OK - 150g chocolate here is 16RMB, so two of those were the perfect proportion and plenty for my budget.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the fresh-from-the-fridge ganache, once rolled in the cocoa powder, didn't 'sweat' into the paper bag I put them in and left them at room temperature. Definitely a recipe I'll bookmark, write down, and keep to use again!


On December 04, 2006 at 01:44 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Good Truffles
I recently tried this recipe making 2 batches: one using a 12oz bag of dark chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of cream, and the other using a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and cream. I rolled both in cocoa powder and then sifted powdered sugar on top to look like snow. They turned out great (semi-sweet was more popular than dark), and I didn't have to bother cutting the chocolate.


On December 05, 2006 at 11:35 AM, Jolene (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
Easy recipe. I did two batches--one dark chocolate and one milk chocolate. The milk chocolate were a bigger hit, but the dark chocolate were wonderful as well. I used a dark chocolate coating over the milk chocolate ganache which was heavenly! I also experimented alittle with both dark and milk chocolates by coating with almonds, pecans (huge hits!) and gold and silver dust (looked and tasted great!) as well as the cocoa dust which was also very good.

Next I'll experiment with different liqueurs and other flavors.

Thanks for the wonderful and easy recipe!!


On December 08, 2006 at 01:32 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Powdered Sugar
Are there any issues with using powdered sugar as an alternative to coco powder? I have had it melt on me in the past but I do not remember what the exact circumstances were (though I do not believe the food was hot). I also saw non-melting powdered sugar mentioned. Is that something you can pick up at any grocery store or is it a specialty/hard to find product?

Thanks!


On December 11, 2006 at 02:12 PM, KTH (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate truffles
If I want to add a a flavoring like Grand Marnier, brandy etc. - How much would I add?


On December 12, 2006 at 03:18 AM, an anonymous reader said...
any chocolate will do? even those that we normally eat as snack(say cadbury chocolate)? or it has to be baking chocolate? it sweetened or un-sweetened or semi-sweetened chocolate?


On December 12, 2006 at 03:22 AM, Michael Chu said...
Anonymous wrote:
any chocolate will do? even those that we normally eat as snack(say cadbury chocolate)? or it has to be baking chocolate? it sweetened or un-sweetened or semi-sweetened chocolate?

If it's pure chocolate (look at the ingredients label) then it should be fine. If it has other stuff in it (like a chocolate bar or a chocolate confection) then it's probably not going to work. I like my chocolate dark, so I used 72% (the percentage refers to cacao content) dark chocolate for this recipe. I think most people find semi-sweet is more to their taste.


On December 13, 2006 at 09:09 AM, surfzone said...
Subject: Astonishing
Yesterday I made the chocolate truffles... they are great. I did it with your measures (455 g of REALLY DARK chocolate) and 235 ml of cream. The full yield was of sixty (60) truffles!!! Don't expect them to last more than a week. I was amazed because it is a VERY easy recipe (this can lead a very tweaked mind to think why people must pay such big amounts to get not-so-good-as-these truffles in a regular cake shop).

By the way, your site is great!


On December 14, 2006 at 04:49 PM, nonedoneundone (guest) said...
Subject: easy and impressive
I make truffles every year for office Christmas presents, they are so easy to do and everyone is always sooooo impressed. I've been branching out and getting more elaborate with the recipes, but the basics are the same: Heat cream, add chocolate, add other special ingredients, cool, roll into balls. Melt chocolate, dip ganache, give to everyone, sit back and graciously accept compliments.

Least amount of work for the most amount of praise.


On December 15, 2006 at 04:30 PM, Katrina (guest) said...
Subject: Yummy in all flavors
For a little twist on this recipe try using peanut butter baking chips. I get rave reviews with them from family and co-workers.


On December 18, 2006 at 09:45 AM, Guest (guest) said...
Subject: milk chocolate in truffles?
I'm really not a fan of dark chocolate so would like to make milk chocolate truffles (some with baileys). Can I use the same recipe or does it need to be modified when using milk chocolate? what about white chocolate?
And will the different chocolate affect how long you can store them?


On December 20, 2006 at 04:41 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Quote:
If I want to add a a flavoring like Grand Marnier, brandy etc. - How much would I add?
I just made a few hundred of these guys for christmas gifts. I was making half batches and adding 2-4 fl oz. of liqueur per batch (basically just added to taste). It is a pretty stable recipe and didnt seem to be affected by the additions I made. I used Scharffen Berger 70% Bittersweet chocolate for each flavor, and I made a total of 9 different flavors.

    Starbucks Liqueur - rolled in cocoa, garnished with a whole coffee bean
    Cointreau - rolled in cocoa, garnished with candied orange zest
    Malibu Rum - rolled in coconut
    Frangelico - rolled in finely chopped hazelnuts
    Disarono - rolled in cocoa, garnished with sliced almond
    Chambord - rolled in coco, I couldn't think of a good garnish for this. I ended up using marzipan mixed with Chambord
    Barenjager - rolled in cocoa, garnished with honeycomb
    Peanut butter - rolled in chopped peanuts


On December 26, 2006 at 12:44 PM, AaronTraas said...
I just made a humongous batch of these for Christmas presents... 9 lbs of chocolate! They're absolutely delicious, and go amazingly well with a dry, full-bodied cabernet sauvignon. It came out really well, but I want to try to experiment further...

I first want to try adding a little cayenne to the cocoa powder... I've read that the capsaicin interacts nicely with the polyphenols in chocolate, thus "turning up" the flavor. I also want to try crushed espresso beans and chopped hazelnuts.

I want to experiment as well with adding different liqueurs, particularly Frangelico, Grand Marinier, Vandermint, and Chambord. How much of a cordial should I add to the ganache mixture? At what point would I add the additional liquid?

One minor note... they did not melt as easily or quickly on the tongue as some truffles I've had, though they had the best flavor of any that I'd tasted. If I wanted a lower melting point, should I merely add more cream? Or do I need to add even more fat of some other type?


On December 30, 2006 at 03:59 PM, Linda (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
I will be making molded truffles for a wedding. I planned on using a truffle mold and paint the bottom of the mold and sides with melted milk chocolate, fill with creamy chocolate center then finish by sealing with the melted milk chocolate. I'm not sure if I should simply just not cool the ganache. Will this work? Also how long ahead of time can I do this? I will be preparing 200 solid chocolate flavored candies and 200 of the truffles.


On January 06, 2007 at 01:38 PM, Harlan (guest) said...
Subject: vegan
For those who wish to avoid the dairy in the heavy cream, coconut cream works very well. Get a can of coconut milk (avoid coconut milk with water as an ingredient!), chill it in the fridge to make the cream rise to the top and harden somewhat, then use it exactly as dairy cream. Don't use the clear milk at the bottom; you just want the fatty coconut cream on top. Makes great truffles, and doesn't taste like coconut at all.


On January 08, 2007 at 02:00 PM, Melany (guest) said...
Subject: chopped pretzels woth truffles
I am trying a different spin on truffles. I chopped pretzels in my food processor and I will roll the truffles in that mixture. I hope it comes out yummy!


On February 13, 2007 at 03:02 AM, Passerby (guest) said...
Subject: Great truffles! but...
I've tried this recipe and found it easy. I coated the ganache with two different toppings: chopped almonds and honey flavoured cornflakes. Both are great.

I also tried to dip the ganache into melted semi-sweet baking chocolate chips to make a hard shell, but it was difficult. I found the melted chocolate very viscous, so it was hard to make a nice thin coating. If I warm the chocolate coating a bit, it becomes too warm and tends to melt the ganache... I ended up making big truffles with thick hard shell in strange shapes. I'm not sure if it'd be better if I work with my palms...but it looked too sticky to work easily.

Any tips for me??


On February 13, 2007 at 12:38 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Great truffles! but...
Passerby wrote:
I also tried to dip the ganache into melted semi-sweet baking chocolate chips to make a hard shell, but it was difficult. I found the melted chocolate very viscous, so it was hard to make a nice thin coating. If I warm the chocolate coating a bit, it becomes too warm and tends to melt the ganache... I ended up making big truffles with thick hard shell in strange shapes. I'm not sure if it'd be better if I work with my palms...but it looked too sticky to work easily.

It's easiest to spread the melted chocolate onto your palm and quickly roll the ganache ball through it instead of dipping.


On February 15, 2007 at 08:51 PM, Eulogy (guest) said...
Subject: Hard chunks after cooling?
I've tried this recipe a few times, and it has always come out quite well. However, each time, as I mix everything together after letting the cream and chocolate sit for five minutes and then putting it in the fridge for an hour or so, I wind up with hard chunks amongst the smoother ganache. I don't know why this is happening, or how to prevent it. Do I need more cream? Less cooling time? Do I need to make a double boiler and heat up the mixture more before I let it cool? (It seems very smooth when it goes in to cool.)

Any advice would be appreciated..


On February 19, 2007 at 01:09 AM, an anonymous reader said...
For those saying any type of chocolate can be used, that is not quite true.

The cocoa content of the chocolate makes a huge difference in the behavior of the chocolate. You should find a chocolate which is at minimum 70% cocoa.


On March 01, 2007 at 04:38 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Hard chunks after cooling?
Eulogy wrote:
I've tried this recipe a few times, and it has always come out quite well. However, each time, as I mix everything together after letting the cream and chocolate sit for five minutes and then putting it in the fridge for an hour or so, I wind up with hard chunks amongst the smoother ganache.

Waht type of chocolate are you using? Bar chocolate for baking or chocolate chips or candy bar chocolate?


On March 10, 2007 at 02:48 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Re: Hard chunks after cooling?
I have been using a one pound dark chocolate candy bar from my local grocery store. (It's the Pound Plus bar from Trader Joes if you happen to know that brand/store) Should I instead be looking specifically for baking chocolate?

Michael Chu wrote:
Eulogy wrote:
I've tried this recipe a few times, and it has always come out quite well. However, each time, as I mix everything together after letting the cream and chocolate sit for five minutes and then putting it in the fridge for an hour or so, I wind up with hard chunks amongst the smoother ganache.

Waht type of chocolate are you using? Bar chocolate for baking or chocolate chips or candy bar chocolate?


On March 10, 2007 at 09:21 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Hard chunks after cooling?
Anonymous wrote:
I have been using a one pound dark chocolate candy bar from my local grocery store. (It's the Pound Plus bar from Trader Joes if you happen to know that brand/store) Should I instead be looking specifically for baking chocolate?

Yes, I've used the PoundPlus brand from Trader Joe's for this recipe before without a problem. I know you said the chocolate/cream mixture seemed smooth before you put it in the fridge, but it might help to keep it warm on a double boiler (just boil the water, then turn off the heat entirely. The residual heat will be enough to keep melting the chocolate) and stir until you're entirely sure it's smooth. Then let it cool at room temperature until they are room temperature - takes about an hour. That might help...


On March 23, 2007 at 01:43 AM, Sapinto (guest) said...
Subject: I did both!
I made the Ganache and let it cool at room temp over night and then covered them with tempered chocolate. The kicker is I then covered them with powder. I used Coco, Mocha, Chai Tea (highly recommended) and Coco with a little bit of Chili powder (My absolute favorite). They turned out perfect except I would buy a melon baller next time because using two spoons worked but wasn't very consistent. The idea of using gloves is genius though!

Nice post though :)


On April 02, 2007 at 07:49 PM, an anonymous reader said...
I've just made some of your truffles exactly as-is and they have come out really well. I was a bit concerned that they'd be slightly powdery after being rolled in cocoa powder but they weren't in the slightest.

For my next batch i'm going to try some different coatings (my skills aren't up to tempered chocolate!), maybe mixing in some fine sugar with the cocoa, or cinnamon, or chilli as suggested above.

Cheers
Steve


On April 03, 2007 at 02:39 PM, an anonymous reader said...
I came across your site by seeing this article on topgrubs.com and I have to say that your content is so unique and me and my wife are just crazy over your great pictures.


On May 21, 2007 at 09:09 PM, an anonymous reader said...
I have made a slight variation of these truffles a few times (including butter with the cream) and they are generally delicious. The one thing is the outside of them is not very hard (room temp is 75 and they start to melt in your hand). Any ways of making it harder? I am using Ghardelli dark chocolate.


On May 22, 2007 at 07:23 PM, Michael Chu said...
Anonymous wrote:
I have made a slight variation of these truffles a few times (including butter with the cream) and they are generally delicious. The one thing is the outside of them is not very hard (room temp is 75 and they start to melt in your hand). Any ways of making it harder? I am using Ghardelli dark chocolate.

If you are properly tempering your chocolate, then I would probably recommend trying coating chocolate (sometimes called compound chocolate) which has a higher melting point (because of it's use of vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter). It also doesn't require tempering for that same reason.


On August 18, 2007 at 11:19 PM, Debra (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
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?


On August 20, 2007 at 01:14 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Chocolate Truffles
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.


On September 05, 2007 at 11:05 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Help!
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!


On September 06, 2007 at 01:34 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Help!
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.


On September 08, 2007 at 01:03 AM, guest (guest) said...
Subject: variation
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


On September 18, 2007 at 07:40 AM, Damien (guest) said...
Subject: Whipping query - Help
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.


On September 18, 2007 at 08:41 AM, Damien (guest) said...
Sorry guys, I was meaning to say thickened cream instead of heavy cream in the earlier msg.

Thanks.


On September 18, 2007 at 02:21 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Whipping query - Help
Damien wrote:
Where I come from there is either Heavy cream (with gelatin) or UHT whipping cream.

Use the UHT cream.


On September 18, 2007 at 11:29 PM, Damien (guest) said...
Subject: chocolate query
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


On September 23, 2007 at 11:19 PM, Sugarhound said...
Subject: Shelf Life
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!! ;) Any ideas?

Thanks for all anticipated responses~

Jo


On September 30, 2007 at 02:08 PM, skicutch (guest) said...
Subject: chocolate truffles
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". :)


On October 01, 2007 at 12:14 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Seized chocolate?
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?


On October 03, 2007 at 03:50 AM, ChocoChef (guest) said...
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 :)


On October 14, 2007 at 04:55 AM, Damien (guest) said...
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


On November 25, 2007 at 11:30 AM, dob (guest) said...
Subject: butter in ganache recipe
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


On November 25, 2007 at 02:59 PM, dissappointed user (guest) said...
Subject: ........
:lol: you need a new recipe... :D :) 8| :shock:


On December 08, 2007 at 04:57 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: trouble making it to balls
I followed the recipe step by step. but the chocolate was not hard enough to make into balls. Now i have a whole bowl of chocolate paste. I'm really upset. What should I do about the yummy paste now? spread it over bread? :(


On December 08, 2007 at 03:26 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: trouble making it to balls
Anonymous wrote:
I followed the recipe step by step. but the chocolate was not hard enough to make into balls. Now i have a whole bowl of chocolate paste. I'm really upset. What should I do about the yummy paste now? spread it over bread? :(

I'm sorry it didn't work for you. How soft is it that it can't be formed? It it almost runny? You can always use ultra-soft ganache between layers of a cake or to ice cupcakes.


On December 10, 2007 at 09:50 PM, candyladymel (guest) said...
Subject: viennese truffles
Hello! I have been reading all the posts in this forum and I am loving all the great tips on perfecting truffles. I have been trying to duplicate (or at least come close) a recipe for Thornton's Viennese truffles. They are totally different from the traditional bittersweet versions of truffles but are equally as yummy! I haven't had the pleasure of eating them for many years due to the fact that Thornton's closed their stores in the US from what I was told when I called the company. From what I remember when I was enjoying them on a regular basis years ago, they have a very light whipped milk chocolate center with a thin milk chocolate coating and sugar sprinkled over the chocolate . They are absolutely heavenly! I have tried for about 5 years now and have not been able to master the whipped center. Has anyone else had these truffles? Does anyone have any ideas or recipes that might be similar to these? I am looking forward to hopefully getting some new insight into the mystery of the Viennese truffle!

Thanks much, Melissa:)


On December 12, 2007 at 05:20 PM, PastryChefAL (guest) said...
Subject: re: viennese truffles
I have never had a Thornton's Viennese truffle, but from what you describe, I would imagine that it is formed from a whipped ganache. You will want to have a slightly different ratio of chocolate to cream to start with--start with 1# chocolate, 6 oz (3/4 cup) heavy cream). Scald the cream, and allow to cool slightly (maybe 5 minutes), as milk chocolate will break at a lower temperature than dark chocolate. Pour ALL of the cream over the chopped milk chocolate and begin to stir, with a spoon, not a whisk. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and then add 2 oz good quality unsalted butter, that is lightly softened. Stir until all of the butter is melted and incorporated. (Note that you want to stir gently and thoroughly, but you do not want to abuse the ganache--this will lead to "breaking" the chocolate, and is the main cause for the separation of fats and cocoa butter from the the solids that you may have read about in earlier posts.)

OK. So, when your ganache is completely homogenous and smooth, you will want to transfer to a baking dish, so that more surface area is available to the ganache and will thus cool faster. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, placing the plastic wrap directly on the surface of the ganache (this protects the flavor and also keeps all condensation off of the ganache). Cover with another layer of plastic wrap and put into the reefer for at least 2 hours.
At this point, you have a perfectly lovely ganache for a regular truffle. But if you want to whip the ganache, then follow the below steps.

Take the cooled ganache and place into a mixer with the whip attachment. Remove approximately 1/2 cup of the mixture, put into the microwave and melt, in 30 second increments, stirring between each time, until completely melted. When the ganache has melted, turn on your mixer ON LOW, and slowly pour melted ganache over ganache in mixer. This will soften the ganache. As ganache gets soft, and there is no more liquid, turn up the mixer. Whip the ganache. The ganache will lighten, due to more air being incorporated, and will begin to look like a chocolate buttercream. It will be softer than regular ganache, but will still be scoopable. Turn off the mixer, use an ice cream scooper or pipe out of a bag, to make your balls. Then--and this is what I always do for truffles--cover them with plastic wrap, and put them in the freezer for at least an hour. This sets the ganache and allows the chocolate that you will be coating the centers with to harden more quickly.


While your ganache is in the freezer, chop more milk chocolate, about 8 oz, and put into a microwave safe bowl. (This is a quick, straight tempering method and skips "tabliering" and other much more difficult steps, especially when used in combination with very cold, almost frozen truffle centers). On high, in 30 second increments, melt the chocolate. Between each turn in the microwave, gently stir the chocolate. When the chocolate is about 75-80% melted, just stop using the microwave and stir gently until all of the chocolate is melted. When all of the chocolate is melted, dip your finger in the chocolate and put a dab on the skin right above your upper lip. It should feel slightly warmer than body temp. Now, remove your centers from the freezer and, working quickly, roll the centers between your palms to smooth them out slightly. Pour your sugar into a sheet pan. Now, get a friend, because this takes two people!!! Both people should wear gloves, too.
Smear chocolate on one palm, take a center and roll in between your hands and toss into the sugar. The 2nd person should QUICKLY roll the truffle in the sugar and place on a clean, parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat, etc.

I know it might sound involved, but its not too bad, and with the production line I just told you about, I have done over 250 truffles in less than a couple of hours, start to finish. I promise it works.


On December 12, 2007 at 10:37 PM, candyladymel (guest) said...
Subject: viennese truffles
Pastry chef Al,

THANK YOU!!!!!!!! I am so psyched to try making these! I will recruit my daughter to do the sugar rolling! I will let you know if I am successful!

Again, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
~Melissa


On December 16, 2007 at 03:44 PM, candyladymel (guest) said...
Subject: re: Viennese Truffles
Chef Al,

I just finished my first batch of truffles using your recipe and they are AWESOME!!! They are almost identical to the truffles I was remembering. It seems it was the technique used to whip the chocolate centers that I was not mastering. Thanks again for the tips, I greatly appreciate it!

~Melissa


On December 19, 2007 at 08:50 AM, borisgil (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
Decided to try your recipe as a change from the usual one I use. Had the same problem as one or two others in that I ended up with a lot of oil which had separated from the body of the mixture. I used a good quality dark chocolate and double cream. As the chocolate did not melt completely when I put the cream on it. I followed the suggestion and tried to melt the lot together over a bowl of hot water. No water came into contact with the mixture. What mistake did I make?


On December 19, 2007 at 02:15 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Chocolate Truffles
borisgil wrote:
Decided to try your recipe as a change from the usual one I use. Had the same problem as one or two others in that I ended up with a lot of oil which had separated from the body of the mixture. I used a good quality dark chocolate and double cream. As the chocolate did not melt completely when I put the cream on it. I followed the suggestion and tried to melt the lot together over a bowl of hot water. No water came into contact with the mixture. What mistake did I make?

I'm as mystified by the oil and solid separation. I have been unsuccessful in duplicating this with my ingredients... since there probably aren't that many, can you list the ingredients in your chocolate and double cream - the total number should be less than 8...


On December 22, 2007 at 02:42 PM, an anonymous reader said...
This recipe is excellent. I actually crushed some peppermint Altoids and put it in the ganache. The result tasted exquisite and impressed my friends.

However, while the recipe does NOT specifically state this, one must understand that if you want to dip truffles into chocolate and have a hardened shell, they CANNOT be dusted with cocoa powder first. I learned this the hard way, as it was not specifically stated. The melted chocolate does not stick to a powder-dusted ball. Maybe others already knew this or were able to read between the lines of the recipe's directions. Nonetheless, I hope future truffle makers avoid this problem!

Thanks for the recipe!

- T.O.


On January 01, 2008 at 02:09 PM, an anonymous reader said...
has anyone ever tried to use 2% milk? I'm in the middle of trying this recipe with milk chocolate and 2% milk. I'm having trouble getting the mixture to solidfy.
Is there something about a less fat milk that does not allow the mixture to solidify?
Thanks
Rohit


On January 02, 2008 at 05:25 PM, Squarf (guest) said...
Subject: Perfect Ganache Truffles
Use Valrhona Manjari Bittersweet Couverture (64%) dark chocolate chips/small medallions. These are avaliable from Essential Pantry (somewhere on the internet). $25 for 16 ounces delivered via UPS ground. For a first attempt, use about 1/3 of the bag. Bring heavy whipping cream to a boil and pour over the chips -- use about one half of a half pint of cream. mix smoothly until creamy. Add vanilla extract (to taste - one or two tablespoons). Keep stirring. Add a handful or so of white chocolate chips to take the bitter edge off the very rich chocolate. Keep stirring. Note: Do not whip! Pour the well-stirred batch into a flat baking dish. Cover the mixture with Saran wrap - place it directly on top of the mixture touching the chocolate everywhere. Let it cool. Refrigerate. When hard enough, scoop out tablespoons and roll between the palms into mini-bars and then roll in dark cocoa powder. Refrigerate. When firm, cut the mini-bars into thirds -- about a teaspoon size for each. Brace yourself. Braced? Good. Eat one and rapturize. Eat another and epiphanize. Stop right there or you will ecstasize! Yes, you can overdose on them, and wander around bumping into the walls as you make yummy sounds. The key to it all? The very best chocolate in the world... and it only seems expensive. The result makes Godiva ganaches seem like Hershey kisses. My recipe will produce about 40 ganache truffles. Remember, I have 2/3 of a bag of raw material left! Need more info? -squarf@bellsouth.net (I have no connection with commercial anythings.)


On January 06, 2008 at 05:37 PM, jackkaten said...
Subject: Choose Your Own Chocolate Truffles
It's great trying to make your own chocolate truffles at home, i tried many recipes, but i always tend to make more than i need and usually can't vary in flavor. Then I discovered fresh gourmet chocolate truffles out of this world not only that but you can also choose from a wide variety of truffles to fill your own box online and get it delivered to your door fast. It's always fun though to make your own chocolate truffles at home specialy the first time.


On January 13, 2008 at 03:47 PM, Mary (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
10oz Good Dark Chocolate
1 Cup Whipping cream
3T butter
1/4 Cup Grand Marnier (I have used wine (Good Zinandel), Kahlua plus a couple of tablespoons of instant expresso to name few)

Cocoa powder or more chocolate for coating.

Chop chocolate. Place chocolate into a food processor with metal blade. Chop until uniformly ground. Bring whip cream to foaming boil and turn off immediately. Turn food processor on and add the hot whipping cream. Cut butter into small pieces and add to running food processor. Add liquor to runing food processor as well. Turn off and pour ganache into glass bowl. Place saran/plastic wrap on top of chocolate so that it is touching chocolate - stops chocolate ganache from drying out on the top layer. Place another layer of saran/plastic wrap around the top of the bowl. Refrigerate until set and make into balls.

Balls can be rolled in cocoa powder or chocolate can be melted to dipping temperature and can be used for coating.


On January 14, 2008 at 05:45 PM, DRS (guest) said...
Subject: How to keep the balls from getting stuck in the melonballer?
When you are scooping the chocolate balls out how do you keep them from sticking to the mellon baller. Am I not letting it cool enough or is there another trick?


On January 23, 2008 at 02:53 PM, GigiH (guest) said...
Subject: Problems encountered - sepearation etc.
Hi - I have made truffles for several years now, and I mayknow what is going on with the separation issue. If you are using a coating chocolate, (which Couverture (sp?)) is, it is designed to allow for smooth coating, and includes extra fats and oils so when the coated item, (truffle, nuts, etc.) are cooled, they look nice and shiny. Make sure you are using a chocolate that is designed for cooking, not "enrobing", or used for dipping in to.
For the other person who was asking about using 2% milk, I wouldn;t advise it. Milk has water in it, which cream does not. Chocolate and oil mix just fine, but unless you know what you are doing, water and chocolate will just cause the chocolate to seize and become a putty-like mass. There are a lot of chocolate sites out there which sell flavor oils for your candy making. These can be used to flavor your ganache. Do NOT use regular cooking extracts, somehow the chocolate doesn't take to the alcohol in the extracts very well and the flavors seem to go "off".
Just some thoughts.


On February 06, 2008 at 12:12 PM, mandalazy (guest) said...
Subject: Better to refrigerate or let harden overnight?
I've heard various opinions about this, as some think refrigerating the ganache affects the texture. So, is it better to let the ganache cool and set overnight, or to let it harden in the fridge?

Also, what causes "blooming" in the chocolate? My first attempt was a bit harried, and I think I rushed to the refrigeration and I got white blooms on the hardened shell. Any ideas on how to prevent this?

Thanks!!! And great forum, I have a lot of great advice going into my next attempt!


On February 08, 2008 at 01:24 PM, loupylou (guest) said...
Subject: Viennese Truffles
Hi i have seen pastrychef al & cookingladymel's posts on viennese truffles and have been searching for a recipe to make them (Thornton's ones are my favourites).
Can anyone give me the exact recipe to make them please?
And what sort of chocolate to use. Many thanks in advance.


On February 08, 2008 at 02:42 PM, Dilbert said...
never tried it, but:

Hello everyone! I am looking for a recipe for Viennese Truffles. I discovered them many years ago at Thorntons Chocolate Store(The English one).

HERE'S THE RECIPE I HAVE FOR THEM:


1 cup sugar
3/4 cup powdered chocolate
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup unsalted butter

1. Put all ingredients in a solid sauce-pan, mix while bringing slowly to the boil.

2. Boil gently.

3. After two minutes you will have a wonderful icing for cakes, and a sauce for ice cream.

4. After six minutes (or a little longer if you want your truffles harder) take sauce-pan off heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. At this point you can add dark rum or any other liqueur if you wish. Cool in the refrigerator for about one hour.

5. Form into balls about the size of large marbles and roll them in powdered chocolate. Cool to room temperature, or chill.

Makes betwenn 24 and 30.


On February 13, 2008 at 10:02 AM, Sherry (guest) said...
Subject: Flour helps!
IT'S FUN WORKING WITH TRUFFLES!
we were making dark choco truffles with bailey's.
as soon as we pour in the boiled cream,we found lumps undissovable.
after the attempt to melt the mixture in hot water bath, a layer of oil begins to float on top.
we thought we were desperate...
luckily,a really smart friend suggest to fold in some flour.
IT WORKS.
Flour does help bringing the oil back into the chocolate.
Now, the dark mixture appears shiny and consistent.
thanks to the flour. thanks to our chocolate saviour too @^.^@


On March 12, 2008 at 11:51 PM, matty (guest) said...
Subject: coating of truffle cracking
After I get my rolled ganashe out of the fridge and coat in tempered chocolate, the truffle will sometimes crack and a small amount of ganashe will ooze out. What is going wrong?


On March 19, 2008 at 07:57 PM, guest (guest) said...
Subject: question.
Hey, i want to use this recipe for my project. But I am not a fan of dark chocolate. If i were to subsitute with Milk chocolate, will it turn out the same?


On March 30, 2008 at 10:17 AM, renevague3 (guest) said...
Subject: Re: coating of truffle cracking
Your ganache centers are too cold. Don't enrobe them straight from the refrigerator, let them come to about 70F to prevent cracking.


On April 30, 2008 at 05:57 AM, DC (guest) said...
Subject: heavy cream vs. milk
In answer to the question about using 2% milk, you cannot use that low a fat content for making chocolate candies. Heavy cream is over 30% fat, and that's necessary for proper incorporation. You might possibly be able to work with half & half (15% fat) if you reduce the amount of liquid, but I make no guarantees it will set properly. Plain milk -- whether whole or 2% -- is out of the question.


On May 27, 2008 at 03:21 PM, Sasha (guest) said...
Subject: Solidity
I think the people who have had troubles with the truffles not solidifying might have issues with proportions. I noticed that Michael used the Pound plus, which is about 17.5 oz. I've made these truffles a few times and I think I've noticed that if I do a pound instead of "pound plus" (which means I take the pound plus bar and then eat a few squares first) I usually have to remelt and add more chocolate to get to the right consistency.
I also noticed that the wiki cookbook: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Chocolate_Truffle has different proportions of chocolate to cream:
1 mL cream: 2.1 g Chocolate on wiki and
1 mL cream: 1.9 g chocolate here.

I know that this isn't the final thing or whatever, but it might explain problems people have had.

also, when I covered the truffles with cocoa powder I usually found that it was too bitter and astringent so this time I mixed cocoa powder + powdered sugar and found it much better, so others might like that too. (Not really sure of the proportions)
good luck and thanks!


On June 14, 2008 at 08:14 PM, stephen (guest) said...
Subject: Tried it - thanks!
I am a chemical engineer and I have found your recipes to be fantastic. Your approach to the lasagna was just brilliant.

Tried the truffles, but with half dark chocolate and the other milk. I cut back on the cream to compensate for the lower melting point associated with the milk chocolate addition. Turned out well and proved to be a hit.

Keep up the good work!


On July 02, 2008 at 06:40 AM, Doc Choc (guest) said...
Subject: Great Recipe
I used the heavy cream and it came out very well. I also tried the suggestion of baileys for the ganache. I think the next time around I am going to stick with a simple chocolate center because the flavor of the ganache wasn't quite right for my husband's taste! Overall an excellent recipe. Thank you.


On July 15, 2008 at 12:27 PM, bobbie (guest) said...
Subject: defrosting frozen truffles
I have been making these truffles for my daughter's wedding in August and freezing small batches. I wonder what the best way to defrost them to put in candy boxes would b? What time table do you suggest? Refrigerate to defrost or other suggestions. Thanks.


On July 23, 2008 at 11:25 AM, guest (guest) said...
Subject: a different twist
I make truffles during the holidays with a little twist. Infuse the cream with an herb (say rosemary) for about 3-4 minutes and then make truffles as usual. Make sure you strain out the herb. It gives the truffle just a hint of the herb flavor and a different twist...You can try almost any herb, even lavender (however, I personally am not a fan of the more flowery flavors). These truffles never last long. They are always the first to go.


On September 13, 2008 at 12:19 AM, Chocoholic (guest) said...
I know this probably sounds real stupid, but is it okay to use baking chips? I always read about using bars- does it make a difference?


On September 13, 2008 at 06:32 PM, Michael Chu said...
Chocoholic wrote:
I know this probably sounds real stupid, but is it okay to use baking chips? I always read about using bars- does it make a difference?

Check the ingredients on your chips. Sometimes they contain paraffin wax and other stabilizers and this can affect how they work. If it's just pure chocolate - cocoa (or cacao) solids, cocoa butter/fat, lecithin (as an emulsifier), and sugar - then you should be in good shape. Any other ingredients and you should probably keep looking for the real thing.


On September 18, 2008 at 05:15 PM, Ma Jie (guest) said...
Subject: Truffle Quality Chocolates
The best chocolate for truffles is from either Sharffen-Berger, an American chocolatier, or that made by Valhrona in France. Using any sort of chocolate chips, in my opinion, is not a good idea.

In dishes when there are only a few ingredients, you really have to use the best-possible ingredients that you can find because there's nothing for the inferior chocolate to hide behind.

- Jie


On September 21, 2008 at 08:44 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: doing it wrong?
i dont know if its just me. but i think im making the ganache wrong everytime i try it, the chocolate always turns out to be liquid. isnt it supposed to be a little thick?


On October 10, 2008 at 04:27 AM, hussy (guest) said...
Subject: absolutely yummy!
I tried these last night and they're incredibly tasty - mixed 50g of 99%-cocoa chocolate with 500g of fairly good quality 50%-cocoa dark choc., then 250g of whipping cream.

A bit too creamy for my taste, so if you've only got whipping cream, don't go overboard. Put in most of the hot cream, mix, taste, then add the rest if necessary.

Thank you for a great recipe!


On October 20, 2008 at 10:53 PM, Judy (guest) said...
Subject: Truffles and Ganache questions
Hi

I'm in Australia so it's best if only those who know what chocolate I'm talking about could answer the first question.

1.
I'm about to make these myself. Has anyone used Old Gold Chocolate? I have just read here that the chocolate needs to be 70%, I will look at the packets tonight to make sure they are 70%.

2.
I'm about to ice a cake with white chocolate ganache and need to know do I need to increase or reduce the amount of cream in ratio to the white chocolate to give a smooth firm but soft cutting texture for the top of the cake. I also do not want it to run (I have worked out a way to stop this by using alfoil folded over as a border and set at the right height for the thickness of the chocolate I want on top of the cake) down the side of the cake. I basically want the chocolate to be a soft pliable lump on the top of the cake that I can level out smoothly.
Thanks in advance.
:)


On November 12, 2008 at 11:15 AM, Darcy (guest) said...
Subject: Mint Truffles
Hey, so I made this last night with Andes mint chocolate baking bits for the ganache, just to see how it would go, and it turned out wonderfully. It tasted just like a soft andes mint, which I then coated in a dark chocolate shell. I really didn't expect it to come out so well. I might start trying to see what other sorts of chocolates they've thought up in that baking aisle.


On November 17, 2008 at 11:22 AM, Kelly (guest) said...
Subject: Did I do it wrong?
I made these truffles yesterday and they didnt work out to the way the instructions said they would. I followed the simple instructions to a tee. My issue was that it never harden. I even used a cooking temp gage for the whole process just to be sure. It took hours to even thicken up. I had to freeze it scoop it out to a common size with a melon baller and then roll them into balls. With each step I stuck them in the freezer to hold its shape. After the hard time I had with them I didnt want to even atempt to temper the white chocolate I bought. I cant leave them on the counter cause they sweat and melt. What did I do wrong? Is there a certian chcocolate I should be using?

I will say though I did make a bunch of flavors & coats. And by far the coconut I find is the best.


On November 20, 2008 at 07:14 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: chocolate truffles
I have a question. I am new at making truffles and haven't been able to find the answer yet. If I want to make a lot of truffles and different kinds for gifts for Christmas how far ahead can I make them and have them still be fresh? Can you freeze the ganache or should I make the whole truffle and freeze the finished truffle? How do I store them when it will be a while before I eat them? I don't want them to go bad but I have a small baby and I don't have a lot of time in one day where I can just spend the day making them. So I would like to start making them soon if I can safely store them in the freezer. Please help me out with any info on storing them!! Thank you very much!!


On November 29, 2008 at 12:06 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: RE: chocolate truffles
Guest Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject: chocolate truffles

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
I have a question. I am new at making truffles and haven't been able to find the answer yet. If I want to make a lot of truffles and different kinds for gifts for Christmas how far ahead can I make them and have them still be fresh? Can you freeze the ganache or should I make the whole truffle and freeze the finished truffle? How do I store them when it will be a while before I eat them? I don't want them to go bad but I have a small baby and I don't have a lot of time in one day where I can just spend the day making them. So I would like to start making them soon if I can safely store them in the freezer. Please help me out with any info on storing them!! Thank you very much!!


********

Last year, I made my friends truffles as Christmas presents. Since these are meant to be a gift, I would suggest one to two weeks in advance for preparation. I'm not sure if there is a better method between storing ganache or a completed truffle- I've only tried the latter. Storing the whole truffle seemed to work fine- the ganache didn't dry out, no smells permeated into the ganache, and the work was already completed by the time Christmas came around.
If you are making a large batch, you'll have to find enough room somewhere cool and dry to store them. Remember to keep them in an air-tight container, espescially if you keep them in the refridgerator, or else they will end up tasting like whatever smelly food you've kept in the back of the refridgerator.

I wish you the best of luck with your truffles!


On December 02, 2008 at 11:12 AM, help help! (guest) said...
Subject: not able to make into a ball shap
hi, today i tried making the truffle, however my chocolate was not able to form into shape. this is what i've done.

i placed the chocolate in a simmer, then adding the double cream, after that i added the butter. after that i allowed it to cool and placed it in the fridge, but after 1 hour seeing it still runny, i placed it in the freezer. Did i do it wrongly?

advice needed! thanks thanks!(:


On December 06, 2008 at 04:30 PM, vandemom2 (guest) said...
Subject: adding liquers
Hi Michael, I used this recipe last Christmas to make 100s of truffles for gifts that were enjoyed with abandon. I appreciate your tip for how to coat the truffles in chocolate. I did that, and decorated the tops with white chocolate in stripes or swirls. I rolled some in finely chopped almonds or pecans. Luscious! What is the correct amount of liquer to add and when should it be added if I would like to flavor with Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Bailey's, Creme de Menthe, or Brandy? Thank you.


On December 08, 2008 at 01:58 AM, roxmarie said...
Subject: melon baller in ice water
Thanks for this super useful recipe.

Regarding the direction to dip the melon baller in ice water, in my experiennce this is the opposite of what someone should do. They should dip it in water which is slightly warmer than the ganache, so the ganache ball comes out of the melon baller easily. If the baller is cold, the ganache will get nice and comfy in there and will be difficult to remove it from the baller, especially if you are making small truffles (< 1/4 inch in diameter). :)


On December 11, 2008 at 01:07 AM, neeki (guest) said...
Subject: melting over double boiler?
hi michael, can i melt the chocolate and cream mix over a double boiler?


On December 11, 2008 at 02:43 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: melting over double boiler?
neeki wrote:
hi michael, can i melt the chocolate and cream mix over a double boiler?

Yes you can.


On December 14, 2008 at 11:44 AM, Ann (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
Hi

I made some chocolate truffles on Wednesday and stored them in the fridge in a container and it is now Sunday not a week as gone by and i have noticed little white speck on the chocolates. Could this be mould? I used Calleburt chocalate 53% dark, double cream(which i think is the wrong cream too) and butter. I am confused as different people say they should be stored in the fridge others say not, some say they last only a couple days others say a couple of weeks.

Please could you help me resolve this.

Thank you

Ann


On December 14, 2008 at 12:08 PM, Dilbert said...
(no chocolatier here but in the event real expertise takes a minute to drop by...)

the spots can happen when chocolate is refrigerated. it is not going bad and is perfectly safe - strictly a cosmetic issue.

shelf life on truffles is in the weeks category.

I do know that candy making - including chocolate - is a demanding art form in terms of proper ratios / ingredients / fat content / temperatures - so off handed substitutions may not work out.


On December 14, 2008 at 01:37 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Chocolate Truffles
Ann wrote:
I made some chocolate truffles on Wednesday and stored them in the fridge in a container and it is now Sunday not a week as gone by and i have noticed little white speck on the chocolates. Could this be mould?

I have personally never seen mold grow on chocolate before, so I'm going to guess (without examining your chocolate) that it's just blooming (I'm assuming you chocolate coated your truffles instead of just dusting them in cocoa powder since cocoa powder doesn't bloom). Cocoa butter (the fat in the cocoa) can rise to the surface causing white dots and white web patterns to form. This is a cosmetic change and doesn't affect taste or cause any problems (except that they don't look how you intended them to look). It doesn't mean the chocolate has "gone bad". The blooming (the rising of the fat to the surface) can be controlled by tempering the chocolate used to coat the truffles which will help "trap" the fat in the chocolate. If you're making chocolates in advance to give away to others, then you should probably take a look at the discussion on tempering chocolate. If you're just making truffles for yourself to consume over time, I'd say it's not worth the trouble for a purely cosmetic issue.


On December 14, 2008 at 01:38 PM, MB (guest) said...
Subject: Milk chocolate truffles
If I'm going to make the truffles using milk chocolate, do I need to adjust the amount of cream used?

I've made them with dark chocolate and they were delicious! Great recipe and great site!

Many thanks.


On December 20, 2008 at 02:09 PM, an anonymous reader said...
yes please, I'd like to know about the milk chocolate also. My sisters prefer milk or semi sweet chocolate over dark chocolate, will the recipe change any at all with milk or semi sweet choc? Also, the "cocoa" dusting, is that unsweetened cocoa?

Thanks, I can't wait to get started on these, they sounds so delish!


On December 20, 2008 at 04:42 PM, Michael Chu said...
MB wrote:
If I'm going to make the truffles using milk chocolate, do I need to adjust the amount of cream used?

You'll will probably need to adjust the cream or else the ganache won't set properly. I would suggest not using milk chocolate - the flavor is already tempered with the cream so it won't taste like bitter dark chocolate.

Anonymous wrote:
Also, the "cocoa" dusting, is that unsweetened cocoa?

I've used both sweetened and unsweetened cocoa powder. I personally prefer the unsweetened, but it's up to individual taste. Both taste good.


On December 21, 2008 at 02:21 AM, kathleen (guest) said...
Subject: information on making ganache
hi,

i had some problems making my ganache. when i used semi-sweet chocolate, everything worked out fine. when i used dark chocolate, i had separation and graininess and it was not smooth at all. i found this site which has some very useful information about working with chocolate, and talks about how to prevent the problems i had:

http://acselementsofchocolate.typepad.com/elements_of_chocolate/Chocolate.html

they suggest pouring the chopped chocolate into the cream (after letting it cool for a minute), instead of pouring the cream into the chocolate. i haven't tried it yet (since i already wasted enough nice dark chocolate today), but it sounds like it makes sense and would be worth doing.


On December 21, 2008 at 09:52 PM, KRB (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate for truffles
Help!! In making my truffle ganache, I used bittersweet chocolate. After mixing the cream in I find it too bitter, even for me and with a white chocolate shell. 8| Is there any way to sweeten it without making it granular? Thanks. I really appreciate your great instructions.


On December 21, 2008 at 11:45 PM, Amanda (guest) said...
Subject: Re: Bittersweet truffles too dark.
About sweetening the bittersweet truffles:

If I were in the same situation as you, then what I would do would be make a batch of milk chocolate ganache suitable for truffle making (there is a recipe above), melt down the bittersweet ganache in the microwave in 30 second increments, and then incorporate the milk chocolate ganache into the bittersweet ganache, refreeze and then continue as planned.

I have made truffles several times and have always found that truffles are a surprisingly forgiving medium. I have never tried this technique but if for you the bittersweet truffles are unsalveagable on their own, I would give it a shot.

Alternatively, you could try the Viennese whipping technique as listed above.

I've made bittersweet, semi sweet and milk chocolate truffles for my family and the milk chocolate ones are always the most popular but dusted in powdered sugar, the children in my household are quite happy with bittersweet truffles.


On December 22, 2008 at 09:37 AM, Zach (guest) said...
Subject: Best way to ensure chocolate melts smoothly
I've been making these 2-4 times a year for a couple years now. I think I've finally hit on the best way to make everything go smoothly.

First, getting the chocolate into even pieces is the hardest part. Cutting it with a serrated knife gets the most even results, but I find it sometimes takes too long to melt the larger pieces in. What I use is a cheese grater as an impromptu chocolate shaver. I have one that fits onto a container, so all the chocolate is mostly contained there. The bars I buy are 113g, so I normally have to shave 4 of them.

Second, scalding the cream can often turn bad for me if I heat it directly. Instead I use a quart jar in a pan of water. For half batches I use a jelly jar or a pyrex cup. I heat this over med-low heat until the cream reaches 90 or 95c. Sometimes I add herbs for flavor and simmer this for an hour or so (thanks to the guest who suggested that, they're great!)

When I'm ready to combine the cream and chocolate, I remove the cream from the water bath, turn off the heat under the water, put my chocolate into a pyrex bowl, place the chocolate bowl into the water, and pour the cream. Wait 4 minutes and stir until smooth.

The water bath ensures that the chocolate will melt, and the residual heat of the water keeps it from setting before it's consistently mixed. It's normally 1-2 minutes between turning off the stove and putting the chocolate on the water, so I'm not sure if it's had time to cool significantly.

I just put my latest batch into the fridge to cool, after coming back here yet again to refresh myself on the process. This time I thought I'd offer my own modifications in the hope that someone will find them useful. Thanks for the great recipe.


On December 23, 2008 at 10:32 PM, KRB (guest) said...
Subject: Bittersweet Truffles
Thanks Amanda. Will try one of these methods.... probably the whipping trick. Since no one likes the milk chocolate, I don't even have any.

Here's another question, which may sound strange. Is there such a thing as a savory truffle? Some of my friends are diabetic and others just don't eat sugar. I would love to treat them to something they would like that is still similar to the truffles I am giving to others. Anyone have any ideas?? I told my chiropractor I was going to come up with a carrot ganache wrapped in spinach :D


On January 12, 2009 at 01:44 PM, MH (guest) said...
Subject: Dairy-free version
After struggling with the idea that cutting out dairy from my diet meant I would never be able to buy truffles again, I decided to experiment with your recipe. I replaced the cream with 1/2 cup Earth Balance Spread (non-hydrogenated margarine) and 1/2 cup Vanilla Soymilk. I used Semi-sweet chocolate chips because I had them on hand. The only troubles I had were that (1) I had to put the bowl in a pot of hot water on the stove to get all the chocolate to melt, and (2) it took like 3 hours in the fridge to set up. I stuffed the truffles with dried wild blueberries and dusted them in cocoa. They are perfect. My husband claims they are the best he's had.

Next time I am going to try replacing 1/2 the soymilk with espresso for a mocha version.


On February 03, 2009 at 01:32 AM, truffle_maker (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles and curdling
Hello,
I have been making truffles but sometimes I note that when I mix cream and chocolate, there are lumps in the chocolate. On the double boiler there is curdling of the chocolate which leads to the oil coming out and the texture is not smooth and velvety. I am using semi sweet Selbourne chocolate. I have not been able to isolate the cause and hope that I will get some help.

Thx


On February 03, 2009 at 03:39 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: Chocolate Truffles and curdling
truffle_maker wrote:
On the double boiler there is curdling of the chocolate which leads to the oil coming out and the texture is not smooth and velvety.

If you are curdling the chocolate in the double boiler, then it sounds like either the chocolate has been overheated or steam has gotten into the chocolate causing it to seize. Try to just heat the chocolate until part of it begins to melt, lift it off of the bottom pot and stir, if you need more heat put it back onto the bottom pot. I also prefer to work with the burners off once the water begins to simmer.


On February 03, 2009 at 10:11 PM, truffle_maker (guest) said...
Subject: Re: Chocolate Truffles and Curdling
Thank you for your suggestions. I wil try them out. Also please let me know if the liquer used in chocolates ie rum and brandy are the normal variety used for drinking or is it something special for chocolates and how much should be used.

Thanks once again.


On February 07, 2009 at 03:32 PM, newbie? (guest) said...
Subject: doubling recipe
hi, i'm planning to make truffles for the first time and i wanted to make more than just 30 of them. would the result come out the same if i just doubled the recipe?


On February 08, 2009 at 01:05 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: doubling recipe
newbie? wrote:
hi, i'm planning to make truffles for the first time and i wanted to make more than just 30 of them. would the result come out the same if i just doubled the recipe?

Pretty much, but it may be easier to work in batches when making the ganache (melting the chocolate with the cream).


On February 12, 2009 at 11:30 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: my truffles
so, i just made my first ever truffles yesterday as a trial run and they came out really well in my opinion and that of my friends. i made my real batch today and found a problem with my white chocolate ganache- it came out really sticky but it was rather smooth. it was still sticky after having been in the fridge for about 4 hours. after 15-20 min i move my ganache into the freezer in all my batches.

however, the ganache i had made yesterday and after the white chocolate batch came out fluffy and in small clumps and was not sticky at all. those batches were made with milk chocolate chips and some with dark chocolate bakers chocolate added in as well.

i used cream cheese and my ratio was 1:1.5 (cream to chocolate)

any suggestions?


On February 27, 2009 at 12:36 AM, an anonymous reader said...
HELP PLEASE! I really want to make these but in Australia we don't have Heavy Cream. We have Whipping, Double and Thickened Cream. What would you recommend to use. Thanks so much.......Debra


On February 27, 2009 at 01:55 AM, Michael Chu said...
Anonymous wrote:
We have Whipping, Double and Thickened Cream

Use double cream.


On February 27, 2009 at 03:24 AM, an anonymous reader said...
Thanks, will give it a try.


On February 28, 2009 at 08:32 PM, Gadget (guest) said...
Subject: Truffle coating
Try adding 1/4t or more ground red pepper to the cocoa powder for a special surprise...delicious


On April 15, 2009 at 02:02 AM, Yolande (guest) said...
Subject: Re: White Chocolate ganache
Help!
I made white chocolate ganache last night using ordinary white chocolate- candy section and plain cream, i added macademia nuts and now after being in the fridge the whole night (the ganache not me) it's still very soft. I don't think i'll be able to form balls, is there anything i can add to harden the ganache a little bit?


On April 17, 2009 at 11:54 PM, i want oreo truffles (guest) said...
Subject: oreo cookie truffles
if i use white chocolate, then mix it with the heavy cream mixed with the filling of about 10 oreo cookies and follow this recipe, would it work? i also plan on rolling it in oreo crumbs. so do you think it will work??


On April 18, 2009 at 02:33 AM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: white chocolate
I've never tried either white chocolate or white chocolate with oreos. As for firming up the ganache, you may have too much cream for the chocolate you are using (white chocolate behaves differently than dark chocolate since it's such a different product) and my only suggestion is to try to melt more chocolate into the mixture if possible.

For the oreo truffle, it sounds interesting and worth trying - but I haven't done this before. Make sure you let me know how it went - I'm sure even if it doesn't work out on the first try, it'll still be delicious.


On April 30, 2009 at 07:14 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: liquid glucose
Hi, I use 10ml of Liquid Glucose (Glucose syrup) added to the boiled cream. Truffles will keep for up to a month using this.

Bols do a superb range of liquers (Parfait D'Amour is my favourite). Also amazing flavours to try are Malibu, Grand Marnier (or cointreau), Baileys, fruit liquers (see the Bols range), and Toffoc (toffee flavour vodka made here in Wales, UK )

I add between 40ml - 60ml of whichever alchohol I'm using to each 333g of chocolate - added after the cream and glucose, chocolate & butter have been stirred together & then refrigerate. It looks like a lot of alcohol when its added, but it will stir in nicely.


On June 25, 2009 at 04:23 PM, Kyre42 (guest) said...
Subject: base chocolate
I've been making truffles for a couple of years now, after being inspired by Alice Medrich's Bittersweet; my production increased after founding the Church of Chocolate (www.churchofchocolate.org). I find these proportions work very well to make four dozen truffles:

4 oz 54% dark chocolate (Trader Joe's Pound Plus)
4 oz 72% chocolate (Trader Joe's bittersweet Pound Plus)
4 oz unsalted butter
1 good pinch sea salt -- this is essential!
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp evaporated cane sugar
2 fl oz water (or strong coffee, if you like mocha truffles)
Flavorings: vanilla or almond essence, 2 oz liqueurs to taste, zest of one medium orange, or whatever you fancy.

I melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler. While that's heating, I separately heat the water and sugar in the microwave to make a syrup. I immediately pour this very hot syrup into the egg yolks, whisking all the while. When the chocolate is melted and smooth, I add the salt, eggs, and flavorings, stirring gently all the while. I spoon into heart-shaped ice cube trays, chill for four hours, pop them out and toss each truffle in a mixture of cocoa, sugar, and spices (especially cardamom).

I find this recipe is very forgiving -- I never have texture problems with it, and can use various flavorings. Notice there is no cream, so it's adaptable for lactose-intolerant diets.

Great thread, everyone -- keep up the good work!


On July 03, 2009 at 02:47 PM, Squarf (guest) said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
Try to obtain some natural chocolate covatures -- 72-76%. Very expensive (Cru Savage), but incredible. Blend with 74-76% Valrohne covatures. Buy two bars of ultra premium milk chocolate (about $4 each). Test for the "snap" factor -- that is, bend a corner slightly and feel the snap. It should be crisp. This will enable a measure of control over the texture of the final product. Use ultra pasturized heavy whipping cream, and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla pods, being sure the scoop out the caviar and add it to mix... and then cut up the pod shells and toss in the pieces. Use nothing but natural cane sugar (in liquid form). I doubt that it is available in supermarkets, but an internet search will be productive. Conch (stir) the melted mass. Consider adding concentrated strawberry or raspberry flavoring oil as a "lilting factor." Cover with Saran Wrap so that no chocolate is exposed to the air. Cool., then refrigerate. You have just begun. Many re-melts later (as you attempt to nail the right flavor and texture by adding this and that --an ordeal if you are a perfectionist) will result in chocolate for the gods, not to be spoiled by dusting with off-the-shelf coca powder. Spoon (after a final re-melt and verification that it is PERFECT) into little paper cups. You are ready to collapse at this point because it has taken DAYS and DAYS to get there. But... if you have not compromised and if you have a fine sense of nuance for the taste, vapors, and texture of true chocolate glory -- voila! -- you will become a legendary chocolatier. - squarf@bellsouth.net


On July 12, 2009 at 06:15 PM, Andy (guest) said...
Subject: raspberry
If you choose to go the route of coating the truffles in chocolate, mix 1-2 tsp of seedless raspberry jam into the melted chocolate before coating. It tastes delicious!


On July 31, 2009 at 07:12 PM, Angie (guest) said...
Subject: Wonderful Discussion on Making Truffles
Hi Michael,

I absolutely love your illustrated truffle recipe. It makes the whole process so "doable" for anyone who is willing to give it a try.

The amazing discussion that follows with all the input of your guests is really inspirational, too. So many mouth watering ideas for variations.

I've just had to add a link to this page from my site http://www.chocolate-candy-mall.com because I feel the information found here is invaluable to chocolate truffle lovers.

I'm really looking forward to enjoying more of your recipes in future. Excellent work!!!

Blessings,
Angie


On August 06, 2009 at 04:58 AM, maz_rocks (guest) said...
Subject: truffles
I am making truffles and the mixture wont set it has been left over night but still too sticky to make into balls. Can you give me advise what to do ?


On August 17, 2009 at 03:04 PM, Jay (guest) said...
Subject: oil layer
I also got a miniscule layer of oil after i transfered it to a small bowl for cooling. I used, 4 - 4oz ghiradelli 60% caocao baking bars and 1 cup of lucerne's heavy whipping cream. ATM, it's cooling and has hardened quite a bit. For that thin oil layer, i just skimmed it off and am left with perfect ganache.


On September 08, 2009 at 02:17 AM, Mina (guest) said...
Subject: truffle trouble?!
im making truffles for my birthday but my problem is i can't seem to find heavy cream here in nz, or at least where we are. can i substitute fresh cream to heavy cream? thanks! great site by the way! :)


On September 08, 2009 at 03:57 PM, Michael Chu said...
Subject: Re: truffle trouble?!
Mina wrote:
im making truffles for my birthday but my problem is i can't seem to find heavy cream here in nz, or at least where we are. can i substitute fresh cream to heavy cream? thanks! great site by the way! :)

If double cream is available try that. You're looking for something with high milk fat concentration. It is possible to whip regular cream, but it takes a long time.


On September 15, 2009 at 02:45 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: whipped cream.
i just made these and i wasn't sure if their would be a difference because it turned out fine so far, i used redi whip but i was messing around with the bottle before i used it and all the air went out and it came out straight liquid which was fine.
but would redi whip work?
just checking because their in the fridge now.
and i have other things to use a different reicpie.
because just eating the ganache would be fine with me :D.


On October 15, 2009 at 06:46 AM, aanchal.sodhani@gmail.com (guest) said...
any idea where to get selbourne chocolate in delhi - preferably south delhi?



please tell aanchal.sodhani@gmail.com


On November 07, 2009 at 10:07 PM, an anonymous reader said...
I'VE BEEN MAKING ALL KINDS OF TRUFFLES, PROFESSIONALLY, FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I'VE ALWAYS ROUGHLY CUT THE CHOCOLATE INTO 1/2" PIECES AND PUT IT IN A FOOD PROCESSOR, PULSING GENTLY, SO AS NOT TO OVERHEAT THE CHOCOLATE, REDUCING IT TO A COARSE "GROUND NUT-LIKE" TEXTURE. TAKE YOUR TIME SO THE CHOCOLATE DOESN'T START TO MELT. I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CHOCOLATE NOT COMPLETELY MELTING WHEN I POUR THE CREAM OVER IT. I ALSO RECOMMEND ADDING 1 TBS OF UNSALTED BUTTER TO EACH POUND OF CHOCOLATE. I ADD TWO MORE OUNCES OF CHOCOLATE TO EACH POUND THE RECIPE CALLS FOR. THIS RESULTS IN A SMOOTH, FIRM GANACHE, MAKING IT EASIER TO SCOOP AND SHAPE. WHEN YOU'RE READY TO COAT YOUR TRUFFLES, STICK A TOOTHPICK (NOT ROUND, BUT FLAT OR FOUR-SIDED) 3/4 OF THE WAY INTO EACH TRUFFLE CENTER. DIP IN MELTED COUVERATURE AND LIFT A BIT ABOVE THE MELTED CHOCOLATE AND SPIN THE TOOTHPICK BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS UNTIL THE EXCESS CHOCOLATE HAS BEEN REMOVED. USE A TALL ENOUGH CONTAINER TO HANDLE THE SPUN-OFF CHOCOLATE---2"-3" INCHES OF SPACE ABOVE THE CHOCOLATE IS USUALLY SUFFICIENT. MAKE SURE YOU DRIZZLE A DECOR CHOC OVER THE TINY HOLE LEFT BY THE TOOTHPICK. THIS IS A VERY FAST AND EASY METHOD.


On November 29, 2009 at 07:06 AM, smellyummy (guest) said...
Subject: Thinkened Cream Vs UHT Whipping Cream
i tried this delicious recipe this afternoon and it was easy to follow. However, as i can't get Heavy Cream in the place i stay, it was replaced with Bulla Thickened Cream. Can anyone advise me if Thinkened Cream or UHT Whipping Cream is best for truffles? Thanks


On December 10, 2009 at 12:47 PM, sad face (guest) said...
Subject: my truffles didn't work
I had used a different recipe. I had used 8 ounces of semi sweet chocolate, 3/4 cup of whipping cream, 2 tables spoons of butter and 2 table spoons of kalhua. It had been in my freezer for over a day and a half and it is still not firming. I tried to roll one in coacoa and it just flattened. should I add something different or just give more time!?


On December 21, 2009 at 02:46 AM, tenorposaune (guest) said...
Subject: Viennese truffles (whipped ganache)
I made these truffles last December to great acclaim, and everyone requested that I do them again. I did, only for one of my flavors this year, I tried the whipped ganache method described by PastryChefAL. I highly recommend this technique. The ganache is easier to work with, goes further, and provides a pleasant textural contrast to the hard tempered coating. Note: make sure your ganache is cold enough when you put it in your mixer; if it's liquid at all, the structure will not be strong enough to hold the air you're trying to whip into it.


On December 24, 2009 at 08:50 AM, adria_hambrick (guest) said...
Subject: chocolate truffles
I made these yesterday for Christmas and they're awesome. I used semi-sweet chocolate baking bars. I put about 2 tbsp of orange juice in once I melted the chocolate and got it stirred up good. I saw another post about not being able to cover the balls in cocoa and then dip them in chocolate but I did that and they turned out great. I've tried 3 different truffle recipes before this in the past week and these were the only ones I've had turn out right. None of the other recipes with butter turned out right. I'm having a hard time not eating them since they are wonderful.


On January 14, 2010 at 01:25 AM, Maiz (guest) said...
Subject: Tea truffles
These truffles are excellent! I made some with Earl Grey tea, which were amazing. I put a scoop of tea in the cream as it was heating and then poured it through a strainer into the chocolate. If you like the Earl Grey flavor, I highly recommend this. It is a delicious and unusual pairing with dark chocolate, and a nice alternative to the liqueurs.

I love Cooking for Engineers. I wanted to know more about tempered chocolate (not just the how-to, I wanted to know what was really happening to the chocolate), and I knew just where to look! Thanks for the great site.


On January 22, 2010 at 01:13 AM, sabrina (guest) said...
I wanted to ask if whipping cream is used to substitute the heavy cream you are using would the amt used be the same?
& I saw the previous comment you said using regular whipping cream will do too but takes a longer time, what do you mean by a longer time?
Thank you(:


On January 29, 2010 at 06:51 PM, thebakingbuddy (guest) said...
Subject: truffels wont harden
I have tried this a few times. I used 1 cup of whipping cream and one pound of merkens semi sweet chocolate. However the mix never seems to harden. Even in the fridge for a while it seems to remain like thick frosting. I put some in the freezer to see what happens and will wait to see if that helps. Any ideas?


On February 10, 2010 at 11:45 AM, heg (guest) said...
i made these using milk chocolate and just used less cream, then topped with ground almonds, cocoa powder, icing sugar and crunchy nut cornflakes! great recipe :)


On February 14, 2010 at 04:48 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: oil separation
For people with the oil separation problem (including myself) perhaps it is that we heated the cream too much and thus heated the chocolate too much causing this annoying reaction.


On May 25, 2010 at 07:31 PM, spider (guest) said...
Subject: THE EASIEST AND BEST GANASH I HAVE EVER MADE,
I JUST WANT TO SEND A MASSIVE THANKYOU TO YOU FOR THIS AMAZING GANASH RECIPE, I HAVE MADE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES ON MANY OCCASIONS AND AS A RESULT MY DAUGHTER ASKED ME TO MAKE THEM FOR HER WEDDING FAVOURS, ( 200 IN ALL ) FOR SOME REASON MY USUAL METHOD WAS NOT WORKING ON THIS OCCASION, SO I DECIDED TO DO A SEARCH TO SEE WHAT I WAS DOING WRONG, THEN I FOUND COOKING FOR ENGINEERS, I FOLLOWED YOUR RECIPE AND COULD`NT BELIVE HOW EASY IT WAS, PERFECT CRAEMY, SMOOTH, AND SO EASY TO WORK WITH, I WILL NEVER USE ANOTHER RECIPE FOR TRUFFLES, THANKYOU, THANKYOU, THANKYOU. XXX


On June 15, 2010 at 01:12 PM, Amy_from_england (guest) said...
Subject: Tooo many!
Great instructions :)
Unfortunatly I realised (whilst staring at the heap i just finished) that I'm not actually a big fan of dark chocolate...major d'oh moment there...

I might try making some milk chocolate ones next time :)

Thank you!

Amy
-taking these into work-


On November 24, 2010 at 11:12 AM, michelle (guest) said...
Subject: thank you
I have made this recipe twice now; thank you for sharing it! I had previously been struggling because every time I tried making these, the chocolate seized. This works well for me because I'm simply adding the hot liquid to the still solid chocolate and allowing it to melt from the heat of the whipping cream. I think I'd tried this before and it didn't work but I probably had the ratios wrong. I have been adding a small amount of honey to the cream when heating it and then coating them in ice cream "crunchies" (aka dark chocolate krunch) and these truffles are a hit! Everyone at work loves them! My husband says they rival the family friend's truffles which previously had been the best truffles he'd ever had! Thank you again for posting this!!


On November 25, 2010 at 10:22 AM, Lori (guest) said...
Subject: Wow truffles
thats a great recipe! The steps with the pictures makes it really simple to follow! I'm going to try the shell for these and hope they come out! If not, I have cocoa powder and powdered sugar as another option :)


On November 29, 2010 at 09:01 AM, beccaj (guest) said...
Subject: chocolate truffles
Hi - I'm a home cake maker based in the UK and I have found your instructions for tempering chocolate very helpful - I don't use a candy thermometer, but have learned how to guage the temperature of the melted chocolate using my finger (a clean finger!). I can now coat my chocolate ganache covered cakes successfully with beautifully glossy dark chocolate hand made shards - this has become one of my most popular wedding cakes!
I will be making the truffles for this Christmas for family and friends, using more chocolate to cream than I use for my cake ganache filling.
One question I have is: When I have added alcohol to ganache in the past (rum or brandy) it makes the ganache seize up immediately. Is the adding of alcohol in the timing - should I add it to the cream as it heats to stop this from happening?
Thank you
Rebecca


On December 04, 2010 at 05:59 AM, summer (guest) said...
Subject: milk chocolate
can u substitute the dark chocolate for milk baking chocolate?


On December 08, 2010 at 12:28 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Why would my ganache not get hard enough to roll...what did I do wrong. Such as easy recipe and I messed up. HELP!!!! :(


On December 08, 2010 at 04:18 PM, Michael Chu said...
Anonymous wrote:
Why would my ganache not get hard enough to roll...what did I do wrong. Such as easy recipe and I messed up. HELP!!!! :(

Need more info - brand and type of chocolate used (ingredients) and cream (ingredients and fat content - believe it or not many creams have a additives)


On December 08, 2010 at 08:47 PM, an anonymous reader said...
can i just use a bag of hershey's semi sweet chocolate instead of dark chocolate, and would i need a different amount of chocolate?


On December 09, 2010 at 10:22 PM, Michael Chu said...
Anonymous wrote:
can i just use a bag of hershey's semi sweet chocolate instead of dark chocolate, and would i need a different amount of chocolate?

Using semi-sweet chocolate should work. Make sure the only ingredients in the chips are: sugar, cocoa solids, cocoa butter, milk or milk fat, lecithin, and natural and artificial flavorings. In chocolates where cocoa butter has been replaced with vegetable oil, this will not work. Also, the use of waxes or binders will cause this to not work.


On December 14, 2010 at 04:36 PM, Carrie Causey (guest) said...
Subject: A big batch of sad...
I almost just wrote this in an email (because it's rather long) but I thought that maybe a reply might be helpful to others.

My truffle story this season is long and sad - taking up about a week of evenings. I started out wanting to make molded truffles and cherry cordials. Bought a couple of molds, and tried. Didn't work out too well for the cherries (my center was too soft - my fault) so I moved on to truffles. Your ganache recipe worked great. Rolled up lots of balls and put them in the freezer. I have been having a hard time with making my chocolate shell. I can't seem to make it an even thickness all the way around by just brushing the chocolate up the sides like I'm supposed to - i was getting cracks and leaks when I unmolded them. So I tried putting a puddle of chocolate into the bottom of the mold, letting it harden, then centering my ganache ball on top and pouring more chocolate on top - hoping it would flow around the sides. But, 90 degree chocolate is a bit too thick to flow around the ball entirely, and I got big gaps, even after whacking it on the counter. My last resort was to put a spoonful of chocolate into my mold, then press my other mold down to imprint the inside and make the cavity. It worked great! Except that my shell stuck to the top mold, not the bottom one, and shattered when I tried to remove it.

So, I gave up on molds and just decided to roll them between my hands in chocolate. My ganache began to melt instantly upon contact with the chocolate - even straight from the freezer. This is the whipped viennese center - maybe that's why. Anyway, I now have a tray full of ugly, half covered, ganache-oozing balls.

I know that my temper is right, because all my mistakes have been really shiny and have a good snap. I start working with the chocolate at around 91 degrees, and try to use it all before it hits 88.

I'm not really sure about any question... if you have any comments about my technique, or if you know anything about using chocolate molds, I'd be grateful. For now, my white/almond ganache and my dark/orange ganache are being saved in the freezer for New Year's Chocolate fondue.

Merry Christmas everyone, and I hope you have better luck than me!!


On December 15, 2010 at 03:07 AM, Jun (guest) said...
Subject: Questions on my first attempt
I'm going to be making my first batch of truffles, and was wondering why you wouldn't just melt the chocolate for the ganache in a double boiler instead of chopping it up and melting the chocolate by adding the heated cream? I would think it would be easier in the double boiler and less trouble because you wouldn't have to chop it up into little pieces..

Also I was wondering if you can add orange juice to the cream mixture along with orange zest?

Has anyone tried the flavors of coffee, orange zest and cinnamon together? Would this be too many flavors in a truffle? I am debating on those 3 flavors together or maybe a combination of 2.. i.e. orange zest and cinnamon, but would like to know if I would use cinnamon stick or powder? And do I need to strain out the zest or can I leave it in? I prefer the non-alcoholic truffle so am not using the typical liqueur.

Thanks for your help!


On December 21, 2010 at 05:39 PM, an anonymous reader said...
The truffles worked great for me. It took a really long time to shape the ganache balls I think I needed to let it harden longer. I also striped red and green white chocolate on top of the truffles, it looked awesome and covered up my messups.


On December 21, 2010 at 11:37 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Woop
I made two batches so far of these, with Green & Black's Oragnic chocolate. One batch is milk chocolate, the other is dark chocolate with rock sugar and honey dissolved into the cream.

The milk ganache is quite sticky even out of the freezer, which I suspect may be due to the brand I'm using (high cocoa butter content), but I just enrobed them to avoid them being too squishy if rolled in cocoa powder.

Pro-tip for those of you failing at tempering or who feel intimidated: Ghiradelli makes a candy chocolate specifically made to harden quickly, to stay shiny, and to snap. Microvave, mix, roll the truffles, bam. Done. Might be a good baby step for some of you. I bought some awhile ago due to time constraints and failing at tempering, but now I've got my training wheels off and I'm tackling it much better now. :)

I also read that in the event that your ganache turns into an oily mess, a few good pulses in the food processor will re-emulsify. Can't testify to it, but it's worth a shot for anyone with that problem.

Awesome instructions. Love it.


On December 25, 2010 at 07:42 PM, chanman (guest) said...
@Jun

Melting it in a double boiler will cause some separation.

I've re-melted my ganache a few times and have a lump of fat-studded chocolate that I've scraped off the top of my bowl. Still trying to figure out what to do with it. Anyone have any ideas on how to cause the fat to re-emulsify?


On December 25, 2010 at 09:21 PM, an anonymous reader said...
Subject: Melt chocolate instead of boiling cream
I'm more comfortable melting chocolate instead of boiling cream. Will this work as well?

Thanks


On January 09, 2011 at 02:41 AM, ahngehlah (guest) said...
Subject: help?
i'm just wondering if you could probably add cocoa powder to the mixture? in case the chocolate i'm using doesn't have a lot of cocoa content?


On January 09, 2011 at 01:00 PM, Matilda (guest) said...
Subject: How can I avoid getting cocoa power wet
Hi everyone,

I have a question about rolling coated ganache...
Today I tried rolling my coated ganache on the powder but somehow part of the powder on the truffles just got wet and became darker. It looked pretty inconsistent..

Therefore I'm wondering how I can avoid getting the cocoa powder wet when I try to coating the truffles with powder? And after coating them, if I put the truffles into fridge to get hardened, will the powder on the truffles get wet again after I take them out from the fridge (to put them into the gift box)?


Thank you!


On June 25, 2011 at 04:51 PM, dbgerber said...
Subject: Chocolate Truffles
Made these last week and my husband and I loved them! Using a melon baller to make the ganache balls did not work out too well for me. Then I thought that maybe a spring loaded ice cream scooper would work better but all I have is one that is big enough to scoop cookie dough. To my delight they make ice cream scoopers small enough to scoop out more reasonably sized truffles. But heck I may just make some big ones to give away as gifts for Christmas or Valentines Day! :)


On September 01, 2011 at 08:03 AM, Sneha S Kumar (guest) said...
Subject: Rum Chocolate Truffles
Hi everyone, I made my first batch of choc truffles and added dark Rum for a twist... it was my first time working on chocolates, I was happy that it turned out to be the exact way i had read in various articles and specially this article. Everyone at my home and work place enjoyed it.

In love with choc truffles..and rum truffles :P


On November 23, 2011 at 02:53 PM, Caitz (guest) said...
Subject: Christmas Present?
Okay... So my gran LOVES thorntons viennese truffles, so for her christmas present i want to make her some truffles of my own as a nice homemade present from the heart. I just want to know if this would be a good recipe to use for it. Please reply xxx


On December 04, 2011 at 07:59 AM, Caitlin (guest) said...
i havnt been able to find HEAVY whipping cream, but have found whipping cream... will the truffles still work?


On December 04, 2011 at 08:43 AM, Dilbert said...
heavy whipping cream has about 20% more fat (36%+ vs 30% of plain ole whipping cream)

never tried it so can't say for sure but a 20% difference could make a difference.


On December 06, 2011 at 08:50 PM, Trying Truffles (guest) said...
Subject: Have seen cream cheese used in other forums
I am about to make the truffles for the first time. Searching for recipes, I came upon your site. Thanks for the visuals and step by step instructions. One question I had after sorting through all the recipes on the web - can cream cheese be used in place of heavy cream? There is a recipe which suggests that - but no comments have been posted on the recipe. So I wanted your opinion. Please let me know. Thank you.


On December 22, 2011 at 09:06 PM, 157Jen (guest) said...
YUM!! These were wonderful! They will make a great House Warming gifts and Thank You gifts! I’m always looking for different ways to treat my friends and clients. I looked online and found a company that sells these polka dot pastry boxes that are so cute! They will make the gift complete. www . boxandwrap . com/bakerydots.html

[edit (Michael): I disabled the url because we found the same exact comment on other cooking websites regarding truffle. I left the link since the boxes could actually be of use to someone planning on gifting these truffles]


On January 07, 2012 at 03:37 PM, Meenu (guest) said...
Subject: CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES WITH DARK COMPOUND
Hi,
I tried making choc truffles with dark compound and all that i had was a pasty chocolate ganache that just didnt thicken up. Can you please suggest the solution?
Thanks
Meenu :(


On January 12, 2012 at 07:59 AM, Dennis said...
How much does that finally cost? Where do you get the things from?


On January 25, 2012 at 04:06 PM, an anonymous reader said...
First off, do not let the cream come to a boil. The best thing I found to do is to get the cream hot enough just so there forms tiny little bubbles around the pot. Feel the temperature of the cream every now and then, as well. You don't want it to be extremely scalding hot, but at least to the point where it's quite uncomfortable for you to keep your finger in more than 1 or 2 seconds.

Next, slowly pour the cream in while gentle whisking the chocolate, and make sure not to over stir, meaning not too fast or too long to make air bubbles. If all the chocolate isn't melted after 2 minutes, simply fill that pot with hot water, about an inch to 2 inches and place the bowl you're stirring the chocolate in on *top* of the water filled pot. This is a process of double boiling. Turned the heat on the stove and turn it to low/medium low. This may take about 4-5 minutes but continually stir and soon the chunks will all be melted.

At this point, I like to spread my ganache onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet at ROOM TEMPERATURE for about 2 HOURS. This allows for more even cooling and formation. It doesn't need to look perfect, just evenly spread. I will then pop the ganache in the refrigerator for about an hour to 2 hours, depending on how thick I've made the spread. After that, cut into squares and roll. I recommend cocoa powder to help keep it from sticking, then you can dunk it in chocolate. Just remember, chocolate is very tempermental! Be patient with it, you cannot go too fast and if you do, the result will be a fast, improper product.

It's truly a trial and error process, but you'll learn quickly. I recommend watching videos of people making truffles so you can see the speed and process more visually of what it takes to be gentle with the chocolate. I hope this helps!


On February 05, 2012 at 04:11 PM, Karen (guest) said...
Subject: Storage of Chocolate Truffles
Storing a chocolate and cream truffle how long can they be stored in an air tight container. We want to make truffles for a wedding but are unsure of how long ahead of time we can make them without getting into trouble.
Thank you


On February 05, 2012 at 05:18 PM, Dilbert said...
one week aka seven days is a safe guideline


On April 02, 2015 at 05:55 PM, HWPB (guest) said...
Subject: got it wrong
Oops; I got the ration wrong and used 400g chocolate to 800g cream - too early in the morning. I'm going to put it in the icecream maker when it cools down and see what I get!


On April 06, 2015 at 01:56 AM, fridolph said...
I wonder if I can use semi-sweet dark chocolate instead of bittersweet dark chocolate.


On September 28, 2016 at 03:30 PM, annala2001 (guest) said...
Subject: Can I freeze truffles coated with tempered dark chocolate?
Exactly that - Can I freeze truffles coated with tempered dark chocolate?!

I've just made my ganache but would like to coat them then freeze them; as long as I defrost them gently, will they be ok or will they bloom?

Thank you :)


On September 28, 2016 at 03:50 PM, Dilbert said...
odds are against you on the blooming issue.....


On October 02, 2016 at 11:12 AM, annala2001 (guest) said...
Subject: Reply
That's what I was afraid of :( they're for presents too so appearance is important. Perhaps it's best just to leave them uncoated to freeze, at least for now.

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