When it comes to making chocolates, there isn't an easier or more delicious form than the truffle. A simple mixture of chocolate, cream, maybe a splash of liqueur, a roll in cocoa or a swim in melted chocolate and they're good to go.
It doesn't take rocket science. What does matter is the chocolate. For a really good truffle, start with chocolate that at least has a 50 percent cacao content (a combination of chocolate liquor and cocoa butter) -- brands like Caillebaut, Cocoa Barry, Guittard, Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, Lindt. Most supermarket baking squares, disks or chips just won't cut it.
Start with a Great Ganache
Ganache is the simple blend of cream and chocolate that forms the silky center of the truffle."Infusing spices in the cream is such an easy way to get intense, unusual flavors," says Gale Gand, co-owner of Tru and Cenitare Group restaurants in the Chicago area.
Gand first saw chocolatiers doing this in Paris in 1983 when she attended La Varenne's pastry school, but didn't begin experimenting on her own until 1990 when she worked for the Stapleford Park Hotel in New York.
"I started with more common things like cinnamon and tried gingerroot and then just kept going. I keep about 20 spice jars on the shelf in the prep kitchen at Tru. When I'm stumped for a truffle filling flavor, I say, 'I'm going to walk the hall of spices to get an idea,' and I see all the different choices -- star anise, white peppercorn, cardamom pods -- and I get inspired," Gand says.
In her book, "Gale Gand's Just a Bite" (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2001), Gand writes, "I sometimes wonder if there is any herb, spice, tea, nut root, bark, infusion or fruit that I haven't tried using to flavor chocolate truffles ... there was only one that didn't taste great (herbes de Provence)."
Spices in Chocolate Not New
The Mayan Indians were the first to enjoy a drink made from chocolate and spices to encourage visions. The tradition goes back to as early as 595 A.D., when chiles were found with cacao seeds in ceramic pottery.Documentation exists from the 1500s that the Aztecs added hot red or yellow chile peppers to their chocolate and used them in nearly every dish they prepared.
As the popularity of chocolate exploded all over the world after 1700, chiles disappeared as a major ingredient in chocolate drinks, candies and desserts. Until now, that is.
Why Chocolate Melts in Your Mouth
The melting point of cocoa butter is just below human body temperature -- which is why it literally melts in your mouth.The Love Connection
Ancient Aztecs considered chocolate an aphrodisiac. Montezuma reportedly drank more than 50 cups of the dark brew daily to spark his virility. The Mayans believed in its romantic powers and drank it from golden cups at betrothals and weddings.How Truffles Got Their Name
In her book, "Truffles, Candies & Confections" (Ten Speed Press, 2004), Carole Bloom says, "Because classic chocolate truffles are generally made in a lopsided, roundish shape about an inch in diameter -- similar to the highly prized fungi -- and because they are much sought after, the name fits perfectly."Chocolate Truffle-Making Tips
Here are some suggestions from Just Specialties Fine Food.- Chocolate and water don't mix. Always use clean, dry utensils when working with chocolate. Even tiny amounts of water can ruin chocolate.
- Chocolate can burn. Chocolate maintains its general shape even as it melts, so stirring chocolate is the only way to determine how melted it is. Heat chocolate slowly and gently to avoid overheating or burning.
- Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week. Remove them from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Let them come to room temperature covered. This will reduce the likelihood of condensation on the truffles.
- Freeze truffles up to three months. Leave truffles covered as they thaw and come to room temperature.
