Assorted Truffles
Surely you’ll find at least one of these to be pleasing to nearly everyone you know. Chocolate Tahini for the quirky person in your life; Bittersweet Chocolate for the traditionalist; Bourbon Fudge for the lush. There’s something for everybody.
Because truffles are relatively simple – just a bit fiddly on the prep end really – it would absolutely be feasible to do a couple (or even all) of the truffle recipes listed below. If, however, you were only planning on doing a single batch, texture would be something to consider. The Bittersweet and Mint Chocolate are the richest and densest of them all; the Chocolate-Tahini ones are smooth and slightly lighter than the former two; the Fudge Bourbon Balls lie a bit closer to a rumball on the Christmas candy scale of texture. All of them would be well-received and heartily enjoyed.
Assorted Truffles
Taken with varying degrees of adaptation from Bon Appetit, Deb Perelman, Pastry & Beyond, and Katherine Sacks, respectively
BA’s Best: Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles
Makes ~30 truffles
Ingredients:
9 oz bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
1 ¼ cups heavy (whipping) cream
½ cup cocoa powder
Directions:
Place the chocolate in a medium, heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit until softened, about 3 minutes. Whisk until completely smooth. Cover and chill until the ganache is firm enough to roll, at least 3 hours. You can refrigerate the ganache overnight, but this will require a thorough period of softening on the counter the next day*.
Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Scoop out scant tablespoonfuls of ganache and roll into balls. If you find that the truffles are quite sloppily rolled, you can try letting them sit for ~15 minutes and then give them a bit of a re-shaping with clean hands. I found this almost created a “skin” (disgusting word in this context, I am aware) that allowed for a tighter re-roll. Coat the balls in cocoa powder and set on a lined baking sheet or tray. Repeat with remaining ganache. Chill the truffles until firm before serving. Store refrigerated.
*If you opt to go down this route, let the ganache sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to scooping. If the ganache is still too hard to scoop easily, let sit for another 15-30 minutes.
Fudgy Bourbon Balls
Makes ~2 dozen balls
Ingredients:
260 gr chocolate cookies/wafers (like the chocolate version of Nilla wafers)
1 ½ cups whole pecans, pan-toasted and cooled
½ cup bourbon
1 cup icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 ½ tbsp. honey
Sprinkles or sanding sugar, for rolling (do not use icing sugar for rolling)
Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the cookies and pecans until the nuts are finely ground. I like to have slightly bigger pieces of nut in mine, but go finer if you want them a bit smoother. Whisk together the bourbon, icing sugar, cocoa powder, and honey until smooth. Add to the contents of the food processor and pulse until just combined. Let the mixture sit at room temperature, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours – this allows the liquid in the dough to get absorbed by the crumbs prior to rolling.
Scoop out tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls (or make slightly larger ones, like I did). Pour the sprinkles or sugar into a small bowl and roll the balls until coated. Store at room temperature or refrigerated (they are delicious cold).
Mint Chocolate Truffles
Makes ~1 dozen truffles
Ingredients:
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped thoroughly
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp heavy (whipping) cream
½ tsp peppermint extract
Peppermint dust or finely ground peppermint candies, for rolling
Directions:
Place the chocolate in a small, heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat. Add the peppermint extract, stirring occasionally. Once the cream has scalded (you will see bubbles appearing along the edge of the pan), take the pan off the heat and immediately pour the cream over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth and incorporated. Cover and chill until firm enough to roll, at least 3 hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight, but this will require a thorough period of softening on the counter the next day*.
Place the peppermint dust in a small bowl. Scoop out generous teaspoonfuls of ganache and roll into balls. If you find that the truffles are quite sloppily rolled, you can try letting them sit for ~15 minutes and then give them a bit of a re-shaping with clean hands. I found this almost created a “skin” (disgusting word in this context, I am aware) that allowed for a tighter re-roll. Coat the balls in peppermint dust and set on a lined baking sheet or tray. Chill the truffles until firm before serving.
*If you opt to go down this route, let the ganache sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to scooping. If the ganache is still too hard to scoop easily, let sit for another 15-30 minutes.
Chocolate-Tahini Truffles w/ Pistachio + Orange
Makes ~2 dozen truffles
Ingredients:
1 cup tahini (the good, runny stuff in a plastic tub, like this, NOT the health food store kind)
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped thoroughly
¼ cup + 2 tbsp honey
2 tsp kosher salt
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp finely grated orange zest (optional – if you don’t like the combination of chocolate and orange, perhaps omit)
1 cup shelled, roasted, salted pistachios
Directions:
Place the tahini, chocolate, honey, salt, cinnamon, and orange zest (if using) in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water; the bowl should not touch the water. Stir occasionally, until smooth and melted. Carefully pour the mixture into a tall-sided baking dish or pan (such as a loaf pan). Chill until firm, or overnight, in which case let sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling.
Prior to rolling the truffles, finely grind the pistachios, either with a food processor, mortar and pestle, or mallet. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the chocolate mixture and roll into balls. Pour the pistachios into a small bowl and roll the truffles until coated. Store in the refrigerator, but let sit at room temperature for ~15 minutes prior to serving.
