How to Make Chocolate Truffles

You may think chocolate truffles are too fancy to make yourself. But made of just a simple 3-ingredient chocolate ganache rolled in an outer coating, they're much easier to make than most people think. Follow these steps and tips on How to Make Chocolate Truffles and whip up your very own tasty batch yes, right at home.

You may think chocolate truffles are too fancy to make yourself, but that's so not the case. They're actually pretty simple in their make-up.

Chocolate truffles are simply a basic chocolate ganache center rolled or dipped in some type of coating like chopped nuts, cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, small sprinkles, or melted chocolate. And chocolate ganache is just chopped chocolate and a little butter melted by pouring warmed heavy cream over it.

You can totally do that at home!

Making homemade truffles does indeed take a bit of time, but the process itself is really quite easy.

Chocolate truffles are simply a basic chocolate ganache center rolled or dipped in some type of coating. You can totally do that at home!

Though to make perfectly creamy and tasty truffles, there are three very important things to keep in mind:

1. First, use only top-quality ingredients. Since truffles contain only a small number of ingredients - chocolate, butter, heavy cream, and a coating, those ingredients need to be the best.

2. Second, choose chocolate you like to eat because if you don't like the chocolate you make the truffles with, you certainly won't like the finished truffles.

3. Third, keep your tools and hands as cold as possible throughout the process to make forming the truffles and coating them easier.

With these things in mind, follow these steps on how to make chocolate truffles to whip up your own tasty batch. Yes, right at home.

Chocolate truffles can be made with either semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate. While both create delicious truffles, I prefer mine made with semi-sweet.

Whichever type of chocolate you use, choose high quality chocolate with at least 50% to 70% cacao for the best result. And ultimately, choose chocolate you like because if you don't like the chocolate, you won't like the truffles!

Step 1: Chop the Chocolate

Unwrap your chocolate of choice and place it on a cutting board. With a large sharp knife, finely chop the chocolate. The more finely the chocolate is chopped, the more easily it will melt.

Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and set it aside.

Step 2: Heat the Cream

Place some heavy cream in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once it simmers, remove the cream from the heat.

Be careful not to let the cream boil. If it boils, it can scorch on the bottom of the pan - which will affect the cream's flavor.

Ultimately, choose chocolate you like because if you don't like the chocolate, you won't like the truffles!

If you'd like to add a flavor to your chocolate truffles, that's easy to do. Try adding 1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons amaretto, or 1/4 cup Kahlua, for example, to change up your truffles' flavor.

If you're adding flavoring to your truffles, stir it into the cream just after you remove the cream from the heat.

Step 3: Make the Chocolate Ganache

Add a tablespoon of unsalted butter to the chopped chocolate. Then pour the hot cream over the chocolate and butter.

Loosely cover the bowl with a lid or a clean dish towel and let the chocolate sit, untouched, for 5 minutes. Then stir it gently with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is fully melted, creamy, and smooth.

Let the chocolate mixture cool a bit, cover it, and then place it in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until the mixture is stiff enough to roll into balls.

Step 4: Roll Ganache into Balls

Use a melon baller, small cookie scoop, or a teaspoon to scoop a small amount of ganache. Quickly roll the ganache with your hands into a ball and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Roll the rest of the ganache into balls in the same way.

Rolling truffles can be messy! If you'd like, wear thin disposable plastic gloves if you'd like to keep the chocolaty mess off your hands.

To minimize melting of the ganache, keep your scoop and hands as cold as possible throughout the process. Chill the scoop before starting and periodically rinse your hands in cold water, drying them thoroughly before continuing to roll. If the ganache becomes too soft, chill it for several minutes in the refrigerator.

Rolling truffles can be messy! If you'd like, wear thin disposable plastic gloves if you'd like to keep the chocolaty mess off your hands.

Step 5: Chill the Truffle Centers

Refrigerate the rolled truffle centers for 1 to 2 hours or overnight to allow them to fully set before coating them.

Step 6: Roll Truffle Centers in Coating

Truffles can be rolled in a variety of coatings, including cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, toasted coconut, small sprinkles, crushed peppermint candies, or finely chopped pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or pistachios.

Place your chosen coating in a small bowl or shallow dish. Then gently roll each truffle around in it until it's fully coated.

Store the finished truffles in the refrigerator for up to about 1 week. For the best creaminess, let the truffles stand at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Then get ready to pop them in your mouth and enjoy the chocolate deliciousness. Or, they're perfect for giving as an extra special from-the-kitchen gift. That you can totally make right at home.

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Candy

Yield: about 20 truffles

Author: Tracey |