This recipe comes courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America.
Dark Chocolate Truffles
Makes about 60 truffles
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted, soft
- 2 1/3 cups dark chocolate, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
- Cocoa powder, for dusting (as needed)
Directions:
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the cream and corn syrup in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the butter and chopped chocolate to the cream and stir until smooth and homogeneous to form the ganache.
- Pour the finished ganache into the baking pan to make a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more until the ganache is firm.
- Put the ganache in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed, using a paddle attachment, for 30 seconds. Or, stir vigorously in a mixing bowl by hand, using a spatula.
- Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with parchment paper, sift the cocoa into a bowl, and set aside for later use.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop out balls of ganache and place on the sheet pan at room temperature. When all of the ganache has been scooped, roll each portion by hand into a round ball and drop each ball into the cocoa. Roll each truffle in cocoa to coat. Chill until firm.
- Transfer the truffles to airtight storage containers and separate the layers with parchment or waxed paper.
Keys to truffle-making success:
- To guarantee the most flavorful truffles, use top-quality chocolate.
- Make sure the ganache has enough time to firm in the refrigerator. An hour is a good guideline, but it is okay to leave it in longer, even overnight if desired.
- Resting the ganache after mixing allows it to harden slightly, which makes scooping much easier.
Source: The CIA Chocolates and Confections at Home cookbook.
