Chocolate Ganache Truffles

Traditional hand rolled truffles were meant to resemble the truffles unearthed by pigs in wooded areas. Highly valued for their intense flavor and seasonality, French chefs call them “the diamond of the kitchen”. Today this chocolate treat is made in many varieties; molded, with colorful and shiny coatings with delicious ganache centers.  But the original variety, meant to be a sweet emulation of the natural, is so simple to make. You don’t have to be a skilled chocolatier and you don’t need molds or special equipment. You can season them with different flavors to make a nice variety, and roll them in different finishes. 

A traditional ganache recipe calls for equal amounts of chocolate and heavy cream by weight. Be sure to have a kitchen scale on hand for this, measuring is not the same.

Adjustments can be made depending on the intended use of the ganache. More cream if it’s being used as a frosting or glaze, so it’s spreadable or pourable, more chocolate if it needs to hold its shape at room temperature, as for these truffles. 

It’s much simpler to work with if the ganache is dense, easier to roll by hand and hold its shape. I am using a good quality clean chocolate with very few ingredients. No weird emulsifiers, chemicals or processed sugars. Become adept at reading ingredients. It’s amazing what you’ll find that you don’t want to eat. Using coconut milk keeps this recipe dairy free. 

Make the basic ganache recipe, then divide it into equal portions for as many flavors as you’d like to create. You can add vanilla extract or vanilla bean, orange zest, or other flavors to create a variety. Or just make straight up chocolate, rolled in nuts or cocoa powder. These are a delicious way to enjoy chocolate in its most pure form. Make up your own favorite flavor combinations too. Have fun with it!

Yield: 12

Living Delish & Nutrish: Tina Wells

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Chocolate Ganache Truffles

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 5 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 35 M

Ingredients

• 5 ounces coconut cream
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, such as Hu brand
• 1 cup each of a variety of nuts, such as pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, coconut flakes, finely chopped, or cocoa powder
• Optional flavorings:
• Orange: 1 Tablespoon fresh orange zest
• Mexican Chocolate: 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• Vanilla: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or scraped vanilla bean
• Healthful additions: Add 1 teaspoon of any of these adaptogens, Matcha, turmeric, Reishi, or chaga

Method

Make the Ganache

1. Weigh the chocolate and the coconut cream. Weighing ensures that you have the exact amount for the recipe.
2. Place chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Heat the coconut cream to scalding, which is almost boiling. You’ll know it is ready when you see small bubbles collecting around the edges of the cream, but it’s not making any bubbles in the center yet, nor at a full boil. If your cream does come to a full boil, remove from heat and allow to stop boiling and cool slightly before proceeding. (Caution: If you add the cream to the chocolate and it’s too hot, the cocoa butter will separate out and create a buttery, oily liquid floating over the chocolate.)
3. Remove cream from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir slowly with a wire whisk until completely melted and smooth. Divide into separate bowls and add any desired flavorings or seasonings and stir to combine.
4. Pour each ganache flavor onto separate sheet pans lined with plastic wrap. Cover with more plastic wrap, touching surface to keep it from developing a skin. Refrigerate until chilled. (You can also keep the ganaches in their bowls, cover with plastic and refrigerate. It will chill faster if it's spread out on a sheet pan.)

Rolling the Truffles

1. When you’re ready to shape the truffles, remove the plastic wrap and place the ganache into a bowl. Scoop into desired size (I like to use a 1 ounce portion scoop) then drop the scoops onto the sheet pan with the nuts.
2. Gently shake the pan in a back and forth motion to roll the truffles around in the nuts. This starts the coating process. Once they have a light coating of nuts, you can continue to roll them by hand, applying more nuts as you roll. (This makes them easier to handle and your hands don’t come in direct contact with the chocolate, so it doesn’t melt from the heat of your hands).
3. Place each finished truffle into a mini muffin cup for serving.

https://livingdelishandnutrish.com/recipe/chocolate-ganache-truffles

©Tina Wells Luxury Brands, LLC

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