I love chocolate truffles for two reasons:
- You have an excuse to grab the best chocolate in your pantry.
- Truffles freeze really well. This gives you a chance to make lots of them and simply freeze them. Just pull them out whenever you feel the sudden compulsive need to satiate your chocolate craving. Like right now, at 2 am on a quiet Friday morning.
Hey, I could lengthen this list, but you don’t really need any convincing to make chocolate truffles, do you?
Now some of you might think that truffle-making is a fancy art, one that only a pro-chocolatier is adept at. Wrong. With three simple ingredients (chocolate, cream and your choice of coating) and a basic understanding of the process, you will be on your way to rolling out the most stunning chocolate creations.
And with V-day just around the corner, you can make truffles as presents for your loved one…even if you don’t know how to cook! (Thank you, whoever you are. I’m going to assume you’re hanging around here for the photography and writing (maybe?), so I’m flattered.)
I’m always looking at trying out different newer varieties for my truffles, so I’ve listed a whole bunch of variations that might be worth a try. This list is nowhere close to being exhaustive. I’m going to constantly update this with newer ideas and flavour combinations, so do share what you have on your mind in the discussion below. You can get creative and make a flavour that suits you best. But please don’t make a truffle with rice crispies or citrus peel, dust it with matcha, and then come back and tell me that your girlfriend almost choked on it. However, if you work at Patrick Roger’s and think this could be your next signature truffle (and maybe looking to hire someone), then Comment ça va?!
Truffle Flavour variations:
To stir into cream:
- Alcohol – raspberry, kirsch, kahlua, baileys, Cointreau, grand marnier, Amaratto
- Pistachio paste
- Gianduja
- Caramel
Or for steeping in cream (bring the cream to a boil with any of the following, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. Bring it to a boil again to pour over chocolate):
- Espresso powder or any other flavouring powder you may want to include
- Citrus peel
- Fresh fragrant flowers like rose petals (I’m so excited to try this!)
- Hot Spices: ginger, chilli powder, black pepper
- Sweet Spices: vanilla beans, cinnamon, cardamom
- Herbs: lemongrass, mint, rosemary, lemon balm leaves, kefir lime leaves, thyme
And/or stir into chocolate ganache:
- Roasted, chopped nuts
- Rice crispies
- Chopped white chocolate
And finally the coatings:
- The ubiquitous cocoa powder
- Roasted, chopped nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans
- Shredded coconut
- Candied fruits and flowers
- Tempered chocolate
The garnish (optional or when tempered chocolate is used as a coating):
- Vanilla bean seeds mixed into white chocolate and spooned over each truffle
- Matcha powder
- Sea salt
Given my love for hazelnut, it’s no surprise that I made truffles with roasted hazelnuts. I crushed them into really, really tiny morsels (this allows you to just feel the subtle crunch and flavour that comes through, without biting into a chunk of it.) And to maintain the distinctness of textures of chocolate and hazelnut, I sifted the crushed hazelnuts and let go of the hazelnut fairy dust. I’m not a very bitter-chocolatey person, so I used 50% milk chocolate that orangefoodie got me from Paris (the Paris post is next, I swear!)
To make these truffles I consulted none other than Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet. This book of hers is one that every chocolate lover must own. Although I’ve probably said it many times before, I don’t think I can praise this book enough. This is the only one you’ll need to refer to for anything to do with chocolate. Quite like how Dorie Greenspan’s Baking From My Home to Yours is for baking.
Hazelnut Truffles
Makes: 50 truffles
Adapted from: Bittersweet, Alice Medrich
8 oz. / 225g. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used 4 oz bittersweet and 4 oz. milk)
1 cup/ 200g. heavy cream
2 oz. / 60g. hazelnuts, toasted, then chopped up and sifted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Mmmm…truffles!
Okay I need to make these. Like right now.
After I wipe the drool off my screen of course.
I've yet to make truffles, but I have some good chocolate and cream in the kitchen, so I'll have to make some, especially now that I've been exposed to your invaluable advice!! Thank you!
http://www.mangiodasola.com
Lovely Recipe! I am making them this valentine's day too.
You have the most beautiful photos that I've ever seen, on all the blogs I hop to and from – as well as natural flowing writing, precise and humorous style, food to die for and the colors I dream in…..Thank you!
Waiting for this since i had seen the pic on Facebook last week….you made me wait for so long…grrrrrrrrrr…Just kidding…
Good Job….
Chocolate truffles are the best — and they make an easy and perfect homemade gift too
I love hazelnut also so that would definitely have my vote!
Ooh! New comment section! Nice!
S, those truffles look A-maz-ing! Wanna grab them out of the monitor! N I'm waiting for the Paris post! Please don't make me wait much longer!!
I made these recently, I cannot believe how easy it is to make truffles. I always thought it would be a herculean task. But they are just easy, great and turn out awesome every single time ….
Truffles always seemed intimidating, but after eating some (okay, a whole lot!) made by a friend who couldn't heat up pasta sauce from a can, I figured I could at least make an attempt as well. Never really got around to finding the right recipe…but here you are with simple approach to heaven on earth
Thanks!
Might I suggest Oreo cookies! I really like the crunch it provides to the texture. The darkness of the cookies and the sweetness of the cream (for the gnache) really gives a mellow milk chocolate an amazing punch. And I think mint would pair nicely with the darkness of the oreos.
These look sooo good! I might give them a go!
I just stumbled across your blog and it has a lot to offer. I might just have to follow you.
Would be great if you could do the same
hey purple!! how r u?.. Lovely post on truffles. What's great about ur posts are it is always fillled with helpful hints and details which are very handy while making it!!. Loved your 4th shot..
nandini.p
http://www.pot-puree.blogspot.com
Hey Nandini! I'm good. So nice to hear from you! I'm so happy that my posts don't disappoint. Love and appreciate all the encouragement. I love the 4th shot too! My favourite!
drooling over the chocolate truffles
thank you so, so much!
I totally like the idea of oreo cookies. I'm thinking oreo cookies and white chocolate! MMmm. Mint, dark choc and oreos would be fab!
Hi! I'm a new visitor of your blog! I love the nice and delicious pictures you have here
By the way, I am planning to make hazelnut truffle too, and thinking of stirring praline paste into the ganache, but not sure about the proper amount. I'm afraid that too much paste will affect the texture/consistency. Do you have any suggestion? Thanks!
Hey Ica! I have never tried adding praline paste to it, but can imagine how wonderful it might taste. The key is to keep the solid to liquid ratio in harmony, so you get truffles that aren't too hard or too runny. So instead of say, 1 tbsp of cream, use 1 tbsp of the praline paste. Let me know how it works out for you!
I stumbled across your blog on the TasteSpotting website. You've got some great ideas here. You might be interested in our blog. We have an extremely detailed recipe posted for Meyer lemon thyme truffles. Happy chocolate making! http://blog.happyendingchocolate.com/post/444046475/meyer-lemon-springthyme-truffles
Lovely clicks..and yes you don't need much convincing to make/eat chocolate truffles.
seninkiler kadar lezzetliler mi bilmem !!! sevgiler
Hi, I love these and have already made them twice! I took the second batch into work (so I wouldn’t eat them all!), but one of my workmates really didnt like the bitterness of the cocoa coating. I suggested nuts or coconut but they dont like either of those. have you ever tried using crushed up biscuits? would that even work?
Hey Sara! Biscuits would be a great idea. Alhough, I’d roll them in biscuits just before serving because they might get soft with the moisture from the truffle. Dipping them in milk chocolate and letting the coating set would be perfect for your friend who thinks cocoa is too bitter.
These look so amazing! Bookmarked!
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