Flowers are a sweet gesture, but I don’t have a vase. So they end up sitting on my table in an Indiana Jones Big Gulp cup, and then my cats end up eating them anyway. Gifts and tokens are sweet. And while I may say thank you out loud, in my mind, I’m saying, “Great, now I have more crud in my house and no place to put it!” If you want to make me swoon, then cook for me. If you don’t know how to cook, make me chocolate truffles.
How to Make Homemade Truffles
Truffles are the simplest of candies to make. Cream, chocolate, and time is all it takes to create something blissfully elegant, decadent, and delicious. Be sure to use organic cream and high quality chocolate. If you can find it, chocolate that is 62% cacao or higher is best. The quality of these ingredients will affect the final product. Any chocolate over 85% in cacao might be too bitter and have too many dry cacao solids to properly emulsify, resulting in a broken or not very creamy ganache. For truffles with any higher than 70% cacao, look for a different recipe. Use chopped chocolate, not chocolate chips, if you want creamy truffles. Chocolate chips have a non-melting coating to help them keep their shape, and this keeps the ganache from melting in your mouth as nicely. If all you have on hand are chocolate chips, by all means, use them. Don’t use chocolate coating made with vegetable shortening.
Flavorings for Chocolate Truffles
Put your own stamp on your truffles by adding some exciting flavors.
Add a touch of extract like vanilla, coconut, or almond. Spike the ganache with a little liqueur, like Chambord, or booze, like whiskey (reduce the amount of cream accordingly). Sprinkle in some cayenne for a prickle of heat. Infuse the cream by steeping it with cinnamon sticks, mint leaves, cardamon pods, or even lavender buds. Just be sure to steep the solids in the warm cream for at least an hour. Strain, and reheat the cream to continue making the ganache.
Coatings for Chocolate Truffles
We recommend finely chopped nuts or unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling the ganache balls. But powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, and even colored or chocolate sprinkles would work! We also like to roll them in finely crushed candy canes for the holidays.
Chocolate Truffle Troubleshooting
Be sure to chop the chocolate as finely as you can. It’ll melt faster and more evenly. If you have hot hands, it helps to wear a couple of layers of food-safe gloves when shaping (to protect the ganache from the heat of your hands). If your ganache is too soft to shape, scoop out rough balls on a parchment-lined sheet, then refrigerate or freeze for a while before rolling. Ganache is still too soft after freezing? Your ratio of chocolate to cream may be off. You can either gently re-heat the ganache (a double boiler is best, or short bursts in the microwave followed by lots of stirring) and add more chopped chocolate…or just embrace the soft ganache and use it to glaze tortes, or enjoy it warmed for the best chocolate sauce ever. You can even use it as a base for hot chocolate. If the ganache is too hard to roll, leave it at room temperature until it’s soft enough to handle. If your cream isn’t hot enough to melt the chocolate, set the bowl of ganache over a pan of gently simmering water and stir until smooth.
How to Store Chocolate Truffles
Homemade truffles can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and for up to 6 months in the freezer. For the best texture and flavor, bring them to room temperature before serving. Even if you’re planning on gifting your chocolate truffles, be sure to store them in the fridge or freezer. Then, move them to your choice of chocolate box or bag before giving them to the lucky recipient. Since the ganache is made with cream, don’t keep the truffles at room temperature.
More Homemade Chocolate Candy Recipes to Try
English Toffee Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Homemade Almond Roca Christmas Cracker Candy Chocolate Covered Pretzels
8 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality, 62% cacao or higher), finely chopped 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional base flavorings (use one)
Mint leaves (1 bunch, stems removed, chopped, about 1 cup) Cinnamon and cardamon (1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods) Amaretto (1 to 2 tablespoons) Almond extract (1 teaspoon)
Truffle coatings
Unsweetened cocoa powder Finely chopped walnuts Finely chopped almonds
If you are using a liquid flavoring, stir it in with the cream and ignore the vanilla in the next step. If adding mint or other solids for flavor, remove the cream from the heat, add the flavor solids, and let steep for an hour. Then strain away the solids and return the cream to a simmer. Proceed with the recipe. If not serving right away, keep the coated truffles covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best flavor and texture, let truffles come to room temperature before serving.
