Recipe for cooking basic chocolate truffles with variations

Desserts to Go with Coffee and Tea :: Truffles

Basic Chocolate Truffles with Variations

Truffles should always be served chilled, placed in paper or foil c.. Serving them on a tiered cake plate is nice if you have several varieties. You can refrigerate the truffles, wrapped well, for up to 1 week or freeze them in an airtight container for 1 month. Remove from the freezer 5 mins. before serving.

1/3 c. heavy cream
6 oz. high quality bittersweet chocolate,
    such as Lindt or Tobler, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (at room temperature)
About 1/4 c. cocoa

Bring cream to a boil in a sm. heavy-bottom saucepan over moderate heat or in a bowl in a microwave. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate and butter, whisking until smooth. Pour the warm chocolate mixture into a shallow bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Using a spoon, scoop 24 rounded tsp.ful of the cold chocolate mixture onto a sheet of wax paper. Coat your palms with cocoa and roll each mound between your palms to form a ball. Dredge the truffles in the cocoa, tossing them gently from one hand to the other to remove the excess cocoa. Chill the truffles, covered, for at least 2 hours before serving.

Almond-Amaretto Truffles
Add 2 Tbsp. Amaretto the warm chocolate mixture before chilling. Toast 45 whole almonds, reserving 24 and finely chopping the remainder. Mold each truffle around a whole almond. After dredging the truffles in cocoa, roll them in the chopped nuts.

Brandied Apricot Truffles
Soak 1 rounded c.ful finely chopped or diced dried apricots in 1/4 c. brandy in a covered container for at least 1 hour. Add this mixture to the warm chocolate mixture.

Cappuccino Truffles
Make a paste of 1 Tbsp. boiling water, 1 tsp. cinnamon and 2 tsp. instant espresso powder. Add the paste to the warm chocolate mixture.

Frangelico-Hazelnut Truffles
Reduce the butter to 1 Tbsp.. Add 2 Tbsp. Frangelico and 1 c. toasted and skinned chopped hazelnuts to the warm chocolate mixture before chilling.

Grand Marnier-Sweet Orange Rind Truffles
Use a zester to remove strips of rind from 3 oranges. Put the rind in a sm. saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil and boil 1 min.. Drain and repeat process. Bring 1 c. water and 1/3 c. sugar to a boil. Add rind and boil 5 mins.. Drain. When the rind is cool enough to handle, chop it fine and mix with 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier. Add the rind and liqueur to the warm chocolate mixture.

Hazelnut-Frangelico Truffles
Reduce the butter to 1 Tbsp.. Add 2 Tbsp. Frangelico and 1 c. toasted and skinned chopped hazelnuts to the warm chocolate mixture before chilling.

Kahlúa-Pecan Truffles
Reduce the butter to 1 Tbsp.. Toast and chop 1 c. pecans. Add 2 Tbsp. Kahlúa and the nuts to the warm chocolate mixture before chilling.

Rum-Macadamia Truffles
Add 2 Tbsp. dark rum to the warm chocolate mixture before chilling. Reserve 24 whole Macadamia nuts and finely chop 5 Macadamia nuts. Mold each truffle around a whole Macadamia nut. After dredging the truffles in cocoa, dip the tops in the chopped nuts.

Scotch-Raisin Truffles
Soak 1 c. raisins in 1/4 c. Scotch in a covered container for at least 1 hour. Add this to the warm chocolate mixture before chilling.