How to make delicious truffles?

Chocolate ganache is a versatile tool for pastry chefs but it’s also at the heart of chocolate truffle. A one-to-one ratio of cream to chocolate.

I’ve got two cups of whipping cream that I’m pouring over a full pound of bittersweet chocolate. Let’s the hot cream do its magic. So I’m going to separate my ganache into three different bowls.

This way, I can make three different flavors. One, I’m just going to leave plain. The second, I’ll add a tablespoon or half an ounce of orange liqueur and to the other one, half an ounce of plain brandy and just stir this in.

What’s key is that you add that flavoring after you’ve mixed the cream and chocolate together. I’ll set these aside to cool to room temperature and then chill them down completely.

You need ice-cold set ganache to make your truffles and I have my three bowls of chilled ganache so now I can scoop the truffles before I start shaping the truffles what I do is just line my baking tray with parchment and then write the different flavor varieties so I know which is which.

A little ice cream scoop does the trick so a nice even sized scoop than just quickly roll it between your hands so it shapes into a perfectly round shape. And there we go so, these are done and they have to be chilled down again before you put on the finishing touches.

I’ll just pop them in the fridge. Go. And I have a tray that’s had time to chill so the final touch is those accents and it can be as simple as rolling them in a simple topping or dipping them in chocolate so, for the plain, I have chopped pistachios and you just roll the ganache truffle completely covering it in the chopped pistachios.

For the next, the orange liqueur spiked ganache; I’m going to dip the truffle in chocolate. Now, you could use a traditional fork if you wish or if you get your hands on truffle forks, these were designed just for the task of dipping. And then immerse your truffle and melt it pure dark chocolate.

I like to put a cooling rack onto a baking tray that’s lined with parchment. It catches all the excess drips it makes for clean lines and then any chocolate that drips to the bottom, you can scrape up and use again.

And the finishing touch on the orange truffle a couple of pieces of candied orange peel. I’m going to take the brandy truffle and this time, dip it in white chocolate. The final step, just a little piping detail of dark chocolate so in a little paper parchment cone, need to cut a little opening, just right on top.

One ganache recipe,  three professional-looking truffles

You can also watch this video on Youtube: Oh Yum with Anna Olson