Classic chocolate truffles recipe – the ultimate sweet treat!

Find out the classic chocolate truffles recipe. These exceptionally delicious sweets were named after another delicacy – the black truffle, due to the resemblance in appearance. A lot of us love chocolate truffles, but few know how these velvety, melting-in-mouth sweets appeared.

One of the version says that the chocolate truffle was created in the kitchen of the French culinary giant Auguste Escoffier in 1920. Once, when his student tried to make custard for cakes, he accidentally poured hot cream into a bowl with chocolate, and not into a bowl with beaten eggs, as it should have been. When the mixture hardened, he decided to save the products and manually formed uneven lumps. The balls were bumpy and in order to hide this flaw, the student sprinkled them with cocoa. Looking at the resulting delicacy, he was struck by their resemblance to luxurious truffle mushrooms.

According to another version, chocolate truffles originated in Chambery, France and were invented by the chocolate merchant Louis Dufour. On the eve of 1895, Louis did not have enough flour for holiday sweets. In order not to borrow food from his neighbors, he mixed cream and vanilla with cocoa powder and made sweets from this mass. Wanting to give the dessert a finished look, Dufour dipped each candy in melted chocolate, and then sprinkled with cocoa. The first chocolate truffle in history was ready!

How to make chocolate truffles – understanding the basics

The term “truffle” is used to describe chocolate balls made of ganache cream, coated with cocoa. Modern chocolate truffles can be coated with waffle, coconut, powdered sugar, crushed nuts, peppercorns, sweet curry, etc. Various additives are added to the ganache itself, from nuts and candied fruits to alcoholic beverages. Real chocolate truffles are made only by hand.

Generally, the classic chocolate truffles recipe is based on two ingredients –chocolate and heavy cream. After that balls are formed and covered with cocoa powder or chocolate coating. Make sure you use high quality chocolate and not some cheap “chocolate product” as it is very likely that such products will not harden at all or contain a lot of other fats besides cocoa butter. The classic ratio for chocolate ganache is 2 parts chocolate to one part heavy cream and this is the basis of every truffle.

Classic chocolate truffles recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz/220 g dark chocolate

½ cup/110g heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

about 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for rolling

Instructions:

Chop the chocolate with a sharp knife. Make sure it is chopped finely. Put it in a bowl.

Heat the cream until it is just about to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Stir the cream and chocolate together until the mixture is smooth and silky. Add the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish or container and refrigerate until set.

Using a 1″/2,5cm sized scoop, form small balls and set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. You can use a small spoon instead of a scoop. You can shape the balls with your hands as well. Using disposable gloves will help you keep your hands clean.

Refrigerate the truffles for about 30 minutes. This will make them easier to coat with cocoa powder. If you plan to dip the truffles into chocolate coating, do not chill them. Otherwise the truffles will crack when the chocolate coating becomes firm.

Put cocoa powder in a bowl. Take each truffle and roll it in your hands to form a smooth ball, then roll it in the cocoa powder to coat. It is best if you use a spoon to toss it around. Put the rolled truffles back on the baking sheet until the all the rest of the batch are coated in cocoa powder.

If you want to coat them with chocolate, melt 3 ounces/110g of chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave at 15 second intervals on low power, stirring gently. Add 1 ounce/28 g chocolate to the bowl and stir to cool the chocolate and temper it. Dip every truffle in the melted chocolate and place on a baking sheet covered with wax paper until coating is firm.

Store your classic chocolate truffles in a single layer or separate the layers with waxed paper at room temperature. If you store your truffles in the refrigerator, you need to take them out and allow them to come up to room temperature before serving.

Once you master the basic recipe you can add different flavors and ingredients and experiment with different taste. From salt to chili powder, coffee and whiskey, nuts and dried fruits – there are no limits. Chocolate truffles are a fantastic homemade gift for any occasion. From Mother’s day to Valentine’s day, Christmas, anniversaries, etc.one thing is certain – everyone will be delighted to receive such a present!