Truffles

Whether you wish dip these chocolate truffle centers in tempered chocolate or give them an easy powdered coating, they are always a welcomed treat and make great holiday gifts.

Truffles

Chocolate truffle centers to which you can add flavoring extracts, nuts, or dried fruits and coat as desired.

Centers:

6 ounces semisweet baking or confectioner’s chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Pecan halves or whole almonds, toasted, optional

Extract flavor to taste, optional

Coating:

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet, dark, or milk chocolate, tempered

Very finely chopped pecans or almonds

Note: See below for alternative powdered coatings

To Make Centers:

Carefully pulse pecans or almonds in food processor to desired consistency. Set aside.

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Cover another cookie with waxed paper.

Optional: If using a flavoring extract, combine with heavy whipped cream and set aside.

Melt baking chocolate in heavy 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted; stir in whipping cream.

Optional: If adding chopped nuts throughout the center add and stir to combine.

Refrigerate uncovered, stirring every 2 minutes, until thick enough to hold a shape — about 15 minutes.

Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto foil lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove from refrigerator and shape into balls.

Optional: Form ball around a toasted pecan half or toasted whole almond if desired.

Place in freezer for one hour. This will prevent them from melting when dipped in the hot tempered chocolate as well as speeds up the rate at which the chocolate coating sets. Skip this step if using one of the alternative coatings below.

To Coat:

Temper chocolate. (See link below for properly tempering chocolate)

Dip truffles, one at a time, first into tempered chocolate then the nuts.

Place spaced apart on the waxed paper covered cookie sheet.

Rest for a couple of hours away from any heat sources until the chocolate coating is fully set and the chilled centers have fully returned to room temperature.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Alternative Coatings:

Instead of coating in tempered chocolate and rolled in nuts, give them any one of the following easy coatings. Do not freeze the centers before coating with any of the following or they won’t stick.

Truffle Coating #1

1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup baking cocoa powder

Truffle Coating #2

1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup baking cocoa powder, 1/4 cup hot cocoa mix

Truffle Coating #3

1 cup hot cocoa mix

Truffle Coating #4

1 cup powdered sugar

Truffle Coating #5

1/4 cup baking cocoa, 1/4 cup chocolate Ovaltine malt powder, 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Truffle Coating #6

1/4 cup hot cocoa mix, 1/4 cup chocolate Ovaltine malt powder, 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Truffle Coating #7

1/2 cup hot cocoa mix, 1/2 cup chocolate Ovaltine malt powder

Truffle Coating #8

1 cup chocolate Ovaltine Malt powder

Truffle Coating #9

1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup chocolate Ovaltine malt powder

Truffle Coating #10

Add 1 to 2 Tablspoons (or to taste) of Taster’s Choice espresso or other favorite instant coffee to any of the above coatings.

Truffle Coating #11

1 cup powdered sugar spiced to taste (i.e. with items such as cinnamon, allspice, ginger, clove, finely crushed peppermint candy canes, finely minced dried cranberries, finely minced dates, finely minced raisins, or anything else that goes great with a chocolate truffle center)

Truffle Coating #12

1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup finely chopped pecan or almond bits

Place ingredients for all — except #3 or #4 — into a food processor or blender and pulse to blend well and ensure a fine powder.

Olvatine malt powder granules tend to be a bit large so should also be pulsed in food processor to make into a finer powder. Coconut should also be ground finer.

Place coating into a dish, bowl, or bag then roll or gently shake to coat a few centers at a time

TIPS:

Centers may be plain or wrapped around a toasted nut of choice or combined with finely chopped nuts throughout. Dried fruits that go well with chocolate such as dried cranberries or raisins, dried cherries or dates, etc. may also be used. Even a small piece of soft mint chocolate, a M & M, cherry flavored jelly, or other surprise can be hidden inside the chocolate truffle center.

If desired, add orange, almond, cherry, or other extract flavors to the heavy whipping cream before stirring the cream into the mixture to create a flavored chocolate truffle center.

If using hot cocoa mix, choose your favorite or use a gourmet flavor such as mint truffle or peppermint.

If diabetic, choose a melting chocolate that is low in added sugar, a sugar free hot chocolate mix, or use the following powdered sugar substitute:

Sugar Free Confectioners Sugar
1 cup granulated sucralose/Splenda (or other sugar substitute that measures cup for cup — IF not being heated or cooked)
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup powdered milk

yields 1 3/4 cup sugar free powdered sugar

Blend or food process to powdered sugar consistency and store in airtight container

Properly Tempering Chocolate:

Properly Tempering Chocolate