Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (11 page)

5.
Pour cream over chopped chocolate and wait for 1 minute. Then stir with a wooden spoon or whisk until the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream.

6.
Add the butter and stir just until the mixture is smooth, thick, and uniform.

7.
Pour the ganache into the baking pan. Let it set at room temperature until firm, 2 to 4 hours.

8.
Make the chocolates per the rest of the recipe for vanilla bean chocolates, starting with step 8.

Yield:

About 60 chocolates

Storage:

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.

General Description:

Elegant, rich chocolate truffles are balls of ganache covered in thin shells of tempered chocolate
. They have come to symbolize luxury and quality like no other candy. In many parts of the world, a box of truffles is
considered de rigueur to ensure a lady’s affections on Valentine’s Day.

History:

The first
simple truffles
were meant to look like the earthy mushrooms of the same name. Today, most truffles have a ganache center enrobed in tempered
chocolate that forms a perfectly round, crisp shell. Originally, truffle ganaches were simply a mixture of chocolate and cream, but most modern chocolatiers experiment with unusual and exotic flavor combinations, such as passion fruit, chili, or green tea.

Serving Suggestions:

Decorate the outsides of truffles to match the flavor inside or simply to distinguish between different varieties. Drizzle melted chocolate over the tops or roll the truffles in nuts, shredded coconut, or confectioners’ sugar.

Candy-Making Notes:

The key to perfect truffles is making the ganache as smooth as possible. Be sure your chocolate is chopped into small pieces so that they will melt evenly. And watch the temperature of the melted chocolate; if it gets too hot, the fat in the cream or butter may separate. Whisk in the dairy slowly and carefully.

Recipe:

Rich Chocolate Truffles

1.
Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl.

2.
Place cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

3.
Pour cream over the chocolate and wait 1 minute. Slowly stir with a wooden spoon or whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and combined with the cream.

4.
Add butter and stir just until the mixture is smooth, thick, and uniform.

5.
Pour the ganache into a baking pan. Let it set at room temperature until firm enough to scoop, 2 to 4 hours.