This being the Birthday week of someone very special, I allowed her to suggest the recipe of the week. The young lady came back to me with an ‘either or’ reply. Now we have already had the ‘or’ – Hugh’s Peanut Biscuits, so today you get the ‘either’!
I would normally use this recipe at Christmas time, but Birthdays are for celebrating and 30 is a Landmark year, so why not have Truffles.
The Best Chocolate Truffles
200g good quality Dark Chocolate
Cocoa Powder
200g Double or Whipping Cream
small amount Unsalted Butter (optional, butter gives the truffles a longer shelf life)
Chocolate to coat the Truffles
Finely chop your chocolate to achieve an even melting. Try and make the pieces the same size. If you are only making a small quantity, the finer the chocolate is chopped up the better as this will help to bring it up to room temperature. Cut your unsalted butter into small hazelnut sized pieces and again bring it up to room temperature. But do not allow the butter to melt.
Warm your mixing bowl it should feel hand hot.
Heat your whipping or double cream gently until just boiling. Immediately drizzle a quarter of the cream into the centre of your chocolate. Mix the cream into the chocolate to make the ganache, add more cream a little at a time, gradually working outwards as the mixture develops just like making mayonnaise.
Blend in your softened butter to the warm mixture. You should aim to achieve the consistency of mayonnaise to ensure a perfect result.
Cool your mixture overnight in a cool airy room.
Form your desired truffle shape.
Dip into melted chocolate if you want to keep the truffles for more than two days and finally roll in cocoa powder. Or simply roll in cocoa powder and eat…
Grannymar – you have me tormented with temptation! 😉
A very happy 30th birthday to Elly this week and may her celebrations go on, and on, and on…
I’m still in a landmark year and still celebrating – do I get to eat more truffles as I’m older? 😉
ps I think your cocoa powder may be misbehaving above?
Add a little rum or brandy to the mix . Nice truffles that way.
you could also add a little chilli or ginger instead and roll in a cinnamon cocoa powder mix.
Hi Steph ~ cocoa powder duly repremanded ❗ We will sing and dance on the day for Miss Elly.
Now about all these truffles… you would never manage one for every year! 😆
Will ~ Some nice ideas there. I was saving the boozy ones till pre-Christmas.
Truffles are my favorite candy, but I prefer to buy them occasionally, rather than to make them myself…..LOL
Thanks for the visit and the kind comments. I’m glad we agree.
Grannymar,
” Cut your unsalted butter into small hazelnut sized pieces”
I am up to my eyeballs in Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder and I can’t proceed until you tell me how big a small hazelnut is.
Hurry with your answer………
Nancy
a small hazelnut is is half the size of a large one! 😆
OH! Yeah, I got it. Once you splained it to me………
Now as you know I don’t have a sweet tooth but truffles, ganache, cocoa . . .YUM! We can’t make these at Christmas as it’s too hot (I don’t have aircon) and the mixture goes gooey. . . I once made a Hickory Dickory Dock birthday cake for the kids and all the little fontant mice melted whilst we watched! Their birthdays are in December!
Looks like I’ll have to have Christmas in May!
Happy Birthday Elly!
Baino
Go ahead and make the truffels now, use Elly as the excuse.
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Mondays on this blog should carry a helf worning!
While in the States last year i bought two bars of 99% chocolate…..I stil have 90% of one of them left….Thinks! Shall I shan’t I?…what the heck!
Magpie
Gwan, gwan, you know you want to!