Bittersweet Chocolate Truffles

Made this for our wedding guests with the hazelnut and balsamic addition (search for it). It went very well though be warned that the last step is quite messy.

• dlasca1

• Vancouver BC

• 2/10/2015

This recipe was simple and delicious, I gave these as a gift to a friend and they were loved by all. I added one extra tablespoon of cream to the recipe just in case. And made the truffle base in the evening so they had all night to sit in already formed truffles in the fridge so by the time dipped them in the coating it was easy and not a melting fiasco. I would definitely recommend this easy truffle recipe.

• herbesandspices

• 3/31/2012

我没有了松露,但这些没有o hard. You just have to plan it out so you can do other things while they're chilling at various stages. I usually make ganache by pouring near-boiling cream over finely chopped chocolate and letting it sit for 5 min before stirring; that would have been easier than the method used here. After chilling the ganache (mine set up fine despite the fact that I think I forgot to add all the chocolate) I scooped out heaping teaspoons and scraped the scoops onto the tray with a knife. Then I put the blobs back in the fridge for a while and after that I rolled them into balls. Very quickly in the palms and then a couple turns in the fingertips. Back in the fridge for an hour. I tried the toothpick method for dipping, but what ended up working best was tossing a ganache ball in the melted chocolate (as hot as you can get it over the double boiler, not cooled), rolling it quickly with a fork and then scooping it out with the fork and shaking the fork so that the excess chocolate runs off. Scrape the bottom of the fork with something, and then you can gently slide the truffle off the end of the fork onto the wax paper and the part where the fork touched (which always looked a little funky on mine) should end up on the bottom. My truffles were so soft at that point that they would have been grossly mis-shapen by rolling in anything, so I dusted the tops with either grated coconut, chopped slivered almonds, or cocoa powder. I think dusting the tops looked gorgeous. They also taste great, though the ganache isn't as smooth and shiny as I'd like. Maybe I didn't stir it enough? Maybe too much? Anybody have any ideas?

• jplaut

• Albuquerque, NM

• 12/15/2011

This was my first experience making truffles. I just made this recipe yesterday for a birthday party and it turned out wonderfully. I was a bit skeptical when I read some of the reviews, but I had no real problems. I added a bit more cream than the recipe called for and I rolled them in cocoa powder and chopped almonds, but next time I will definitely make the chocolate coating.

• lmtussey

• Bogota, Colombia

• 10/24/2011

When I followed this recipe using high cacao chocolate, my ganache broke leaving me with globby mess of separated (and expensive) oil and curdled chocolate solids. Thankfully I was able to re-emulsify everything with a little more heavy cream, but this was a needless hassle. If I make truffles again, I'll be sure to use a more reliable recipe.

• Anonymous

• Philadelphia, PA

• 4/19/2011

I actually froze the truffle base before rolling. This helped tremendously in rolling the balls. They still turn out messy when you roll them, but that's truffles! I rolled these in chopped hazlenuts and it was divine!

• tfarman

• Columbia Gorge, WA

• 12/24/2010

TERRIBLE recipe! The chocolate-to-cream ratio must be way off, because the ganache wouldn't set. When I tried to cover them in chocolate, the ganache started to melt. This caused the chocolate to seize. I ended up with chocolate blobs. Just brutal, messy and frustrating. Would never make this recipe again. They do taste good, but my advice is to find another recipe.

• Toaster

• 12/22/2010

This was my first experience making truffles and they turned out splendidly. I used Lindt 70% cocoa smooth dark chocolate. I finished half the batch following the instructions for making the ganache-cocoa powder shell. For the other half, I rolled the balls in 3.5 oz melted Green & Black white chocolate, then drizzled those with the remaining melted semisweet chocolate. In order to get the white chocolate to the right consistency for dipping, once it was melted I added 3 tbsp corn syrup, stirring until well combined. The two kinds of truffle looked beautiful together, and since I was giving them as Christmas gifts, I dressed up the presentation a bit by putting them in mini-cupcake liners, on a bed of white tissue paper, in small Christmas tins. I was very pleased and they got lots of compliments! Next time, Ill add Chambord, Grand Marnier, or Crème de Menthe for a more complex flavor.

• QuakerlyBaker

• New York, NY

• 12/18/2010

This is an excellent ( tho not new) truffle recipe. I've been making truffles for years. I do have a few tips that I hope will help someone - 1. To save time and cleaning up - instead of melting chocolate in another double boiler set-up, break chocolate into very small pieces ( I do this while it's still in the wrapper.) Put chocolate pieces into a stainless steel bowl that's big enough to hold your cream too. Bring cream to a boil or just before a boil as it boils over VERY easily (if using a recipe with sugar, add it to cream.) Pour boiling cream over chocolate and cover with plastic wrap. Choose bowl size that will cause cream to completely or almost completely cover chocolate. Now, walk away for 5 minutes. Then stir and refrigerate. If all of chocolate isn't melted you can use bowl as double boiler, but this method works for me 99% of the time. 2. To get truffles similar in size I use small ratchet type ice cream scoops in tsp range sizes. But I still roll in my hands for shaping. The lady below who said this was a waste of good ingredients may have usedthe wrong type of chocolate - such as dark or semi-sweet. Because the lighter the chocolate is, the lower the melting point and for truffles you'll need less cream. And for the lady with streaks of cocoa butter, maybe you should try mixing more before chilling. Try the manufacturers website for recipes! I have a lot of seperation problems when making Ghiradelli white chocolate truffles. I end up pouring off any fat that seperates and people love my Apricot Brandy white chocolate truffles. Recipe is on their website ; ) Hope I helped someone!

• DorcasB

• Dallas

• 12/11/2010

This is my first recipe to make from Epicurious and I am pleased with how easy it is to make, although messy and I am not even 100% done - I still need to do the chocolate covering. However, I am considering just covering with cocoa powder, or cocoa powder and chile for my friends that can take the heat! :) The true taste test is to share with friends and office colleagues, but this turns out to be a Christmas gift of less than $2/person if you give around 5 truffles (to mind the waisteline too) and put in plastic ware and ribbon. The best is the gift of my time in creation of something yummy and special for friends. happy holidays!

• Anonymous

• Washington, D.C.

• 11/28/2010

Made this last year at Christmas time and my father loved them and he isn't a huge fan of chocolate. He liked them so he requested them for his 60th birthday party to share with family and friends.

• kmsiconolfi

• 11/5/2010

I liked this recipe, but I wonder if anyone can give me any advice about what I'm doing wrong. I made it according to the recipe and then rolled the truffles in cocoa (thanks for the suggestion). I had no problem forming them: my hands tend to be very cold and that probably helped. My problem was that, after the base had set in the frige, it developed waxy striations. The truffles still tasted great and the pure chocolate coating hid the problem, but I'd like to do better next time. Maybe the fat content in the Scharffen Berger chocolate I used was the problem? Also, I found it very hard to time warming up and cooling down the cream to coincide perfectly with the moment all of the chocolate melted. Maybe the cream was the wrong temperature? All in all though, my friends loved them and I'd make them again, even if I still have a lot to learn about working with chocolate.

• PierogiePumpkin

• 10/24/2010

These are so EASY and DELICIOUS! I did two half batches so I could make the lemon-thyme and the balsamic flavors. I proportioned the whipping cream to match to one standard bar of chocolate (1/2 cup cream per 3.5oz chocolate) and it worked perfectly. I don't understand the complaints. Make sure to REALLY chill a good three hours though or it WILL be messy! Only change: I'd add more of the lemon, thyme, and balsamic to increase flavor next time.

• SpiderCrackers

• Ann Arbor, Michigan

• 5/18/2010

I would recommend using latex or plastic gloves when rolling the chocolate into balls. It keeps the oil in your hands away from the chocolate, the chocolate doesn't melt quite so quickly and its a lot less mess.

• shaelynndriel

• Canada

• 4/21/2009

I found these to be a huge waste of good ingredients. The taste was good, but the texture made them impossible to form into balls, even after refrigerating for several hours. Most of the chocolate ended up un my hands, rather than as balls.

• Anonymous

• new york

• 3/12/2009