6 Takes on the Classic Chocolate Truffle
Happy early Valentine's Day from all of us here at Wine Country Gift Baskets! In the spirit of the season of sweet treats and all things chocolate, we whipped up 6 new takes on the classic chocolate truffle. Give your favorites a try, and package them up with a ribbon for your coworkers, classmates, friends, family, and significant other this Valentine's Day! Share some pictures to let us know how they turned out, or shoot us a note on Facebook to tell us about your own genius truffle ideas!
Dark Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients:
2 C. Semi-sweet chocolate, finely shredded
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
Cocoa Powder
Optional: Cacao Nibs
Directions:
1. Place your shredded chocolate in a heat-safe glass bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm your heavy whipping cream until a thick ring of bubbles form along the edges. A very gentle, very slow simmer is ideal, but any hotter and your cream could scald.
3. Pour your heated heavy whipping cream over your chocolate and allow to rest, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until your chocolate and cream are well mixed.
4. Set your bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes. Once the ganache is hardened, use a small cookie scoop to form balls, and roll the truffle in your hands until a circular shape is achieved. You'll know the truffles are ready to roll when the center of your ganache mixture turns dark brown. Place your truffle balls on a cookie sheet and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Place about 1/2 C. of cocoa powder in a small plate or dish, and pull your truffles from the freezer. Roll each hardened truffle in the cocoa powder until fully covered, and gently tap off the excess. If you'd like, take a few pieces of Cacao Nibs and press them into the top of your truffle.
Kahlua Truffles
Ingredients:
2 C. Semi-sweet chocolate, finely shredded
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp. Kahlua
Cocoa Powder
Espresso Powder
Directions:
1. Place your shredded chocolate in a heat-safe glass bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm your heavy whipping cream until a thick ring of bubbles form along the edges. A very gentle, very slow simmer is ideal, but any hotter and your cream could scald.
3. Pour your heated heavy whipping cream over your chocolate and allow to rest, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the Kahlua and gently stir with a rubber spatula until well mixed.
4. Set your bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes. Once the ganache is hardened, use a small cookie scoop to form balls, and roll the truffle in your hands until a circular shape is achieved. You'll know the truffles are ready to roll when the center of your ganache mixture turns dark brown. Place your truffle balls on a cookie sheet and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Place about 1/4 C. of cocoa powder in a small plate or dish, about 1/4 C. espresso powder in a separate small dish, and pull your truffles from the freezer. Roll/dip different sides of your truffles in each of the powders until all sides of your truffles are covered, and patchy-looking.
Peanut Butter Truffles
Ingredients:
2 C. Semi-sweet chocolate, finely shredded
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 C. Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp. Creamy, Salted Peanut Butter
1 C. Crushed, Salted Peanuts
Directions:
1. Place your shredded chocolate, powdered sugar, and peanut butter in a heat-safe glass bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm your heavy whipping cream until a thick ring of bubbles form along the edges. A very gentle, very slow simmer is ideal, but any hotter and your cream could scald.
3. Pour your heated heavy whipping cream over your peanut butter and chocolate and allow to rest, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until your chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar and cream are well mixed.
4. Set your bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes. Once the ganache is hardened, use a small cookie scoop to form balls, and roll the truffle in your hands until a circular shape is achieved. You'll know the truffles are ready to roll when the center of your ganache mixture turns dark brown. Place your truffle balls on a cookie sheet and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. While your ganache is chilling for the second time, take your crushed peanuts, place them in a plastic baggie, and crush them even more. You want to see some fine peanut powder mixed in with the peanuts.
6. Place your crushed peanuts on a small plate or dish, and pull your truffles from the freezer. Roll each hardened truffle in the peanuts and peanut powder until fully covered, and gently tap off the excess.
Cinnamon Sugar Truffles
Ingredients:
2 C. Semi-sweet chocolate, finely shredded
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
Ground Cinnamon
White Sugar
Directions:
1. Place your shredded chocolate in a heat-safe glass bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm your heavy whipping cream until a thick ring of bubbles form along the edges. A very gentle, very slow simmer is ideal, but any hotter and your cream could scald.
3. Pour your heated heavy whipping cream over your chocolate and allow to rest, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until your chocolate and cream are well mixed.
4. Set your bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes. Once the ganache is hardened, use a small cookie scoop to form balls, and roll the truffle in your hands until a circular shape is achieved. You'll know the truffles are ready to roll when the center of your ganache mixture turns dark brown. Place your truffle balls on a cookie sheet and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Place about 2 Tbsp. cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. white sugar in a small plate or dish, and mix them together well. Pull your truffles from the freezer and roll each hardened truffle in the cinnamon sugar mixture until fully covered, and gently tap off the excess. Serve and enjoy.
Pink Himalayan Salt Truffles
Ingredients:
2 C. Semi-sweet chocolate, finely shredded
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tbsp. Himalayan Salt
Cocoa Powder
Himalayan Salt, medium to large crystals
Directions:
1. Place your shredded chocolate in a heat-safe glass bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm your heavy whipping cream until a thick ring of bubbles form along the edges. A very gentle, very slow simmer is ideal, but any hotter and your cream could scald.
3. Pour your heated heavy whipping cream over your chocolate and allow to rest, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until your chocolate and cream are well mixed. Add the salt and stir until combined.
4. Set your bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes. Once the ganache is hardened, use a small cookie scoop to form balls, and roll the truffle in your hands until a circular shape is achieved. You'll know the truffles are ready to roll when the center of your ganache mixture turns dark brown. Place your truffle balls on a cookie sheet and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Place about 1/2 C. of cocoa powder in a small plate or dish, and pull your truffles from the freezer. Roll each hardened truffle in the cocoa powder until fully covered, and gently tap off the excess. If you'd like, take a few crystals of the Himalayan Salt and press them into the top of the truffle.
Red Wine Truffles
Ingredients:
2 C. Semi-sweet chocolate, finely shredded
1 C. Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 C. Red Wine (we recommend a Cab or Merlot)
1-16oz Bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. Red Wine
1/2 C. Coconut Oil
Sprinkles
Directions:
1. Place your shredded chocolate in a heat-safe glass bowl.
2. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm your heavy whipping cream until a thick ring of bubbles form along the edges. A very gentle, very slow simmer is ideal, but any hotter and your cream could scald.
3. Pour your heated heavy whipping cream over your chocolate and allow to rest, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Gently stir with a rubber spatula until your chocolate and cream are well mixed. Add 1/4 C. red wine and stir until combined.
4. Set your bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes. Once the ganache is hardened, use a small cookie scoop to form balls, and roll the truffle in your hands until a circular shape is achieved. You'll know the truffles are ready to roll when the center of your ganache mixture turns dark brown. Place your truffle balls on a cookie sheet and return to the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. While your ganache mixture is chilling, pour your chocolate chips into a double boiler over medium-high heat and allow them to completely melt. Stirring constantly, add the coconut oil and 1 Tbsp. of red wine. The chocolate will seize, but after a few minutes of stirring, it will begin to release. Add more coconut oil a tablespoon at a time to help it smooth out. 6. Once melted chocolate is smooth and liquid enough to dip your truffles in, pull your frozen truffles from the freezer. Using a fork, a long skewer stick, or whatever you're comfortable with, quickly dip the truffles in the melted chocolate until fully covered and tap/scrape the excess chocolate off. Set them on your cookie sheet, and use a little bit of melted chocolate to cover any holes you may have left behind. You will want to sprinkle the top of your truffle with colored sprinkles before the chocolate hardens. If your undipped truffles get too soft from sitting out, return the whole tray to the freezer for another 20 minutes, and start again. Just make sure you stir your melted chocolate every so often while you wait.
Pro Tip: If you have any raw almonds, you may pour them into the double boiler with your leftover melted chocolate, and 'dollop' them onto a cookie tray and freeze for a Red Wine, Chocolate, and Almond treat later. Alternatively, you can pour the extra melted chocolate into lollipop or candy molds and enjoy the chocolates later by themselves, or make a cup of red wine hot cocoa from them later.
