Dark Chocolate Truffles

This chocolate truffle recipe can be modified to create Dark Chocolate Truffles, Milk Chocolate Truffles or White Chocolate Truffles by following a few rules.

By Ecole Chocolat

Ecole Chocolat Recipe

In the following recipe, you can make the substitutions as indicated when you want to change the flavor of your truffles. Keep in mind that the texture (hard or soft) of chocolate truffles depends on the amount of cocoa solids in the chocolate you're using. A chocolate with less cocoa solids such as a 35% dark chocolate will produce a softer chocolate truffle than one that is 70%. You'll have to experiment a little to find the texture you want.

As well, the proportion of chocolate to cream determines the stiffness of the resulting product. Add more cream and you'll get a softer product. If you need to stiffen the mixture, add more chocolate.

Yield: 20 pieces

Ingredients

8 oz. (250g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup (75mL) whipping cream
chocolate for dipping if included (optional)(see tempering instructions)

Recipe Instructions

Bring cream just to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat.

Beat cream into the chocolate by hand or using a hand-held emulsion blender. Beat until smooth and all chocolate is melted.

Chill in refrigerator until firm (approximately 1-3 hours).

Scrape spoon or melon-ball cutter across surface of mixture; quickly press with fingertips into 1-inch (2.5cm) balls. Freeze well-wrapped in plastic.

Stored between 60° and 68°F, the chocolates can be kept up to two weeks.

Making milk chocolate truffles and white chocolate truffles

You can substitute milk or white chocolate in most recipes for dark chocolate truffles. Just make sure to adjust the amount of chocolate in the recipe using these general rules:

* Milk Chocolate Truffles – multiply the amount of dark chocolate specified in the recipe by 1.5

* White Chocolate Truffles – multiply the amount of dark chocolate specified in the recipe by 2

For example, if the recipe calls for 8 oz. of dark chocolate, as in the recipe above, and you want to substitute white chocolate, you'll need to increase the amount of white chocolate to 16 oz.

These are general rules and as we said above, it's important to note that the percentage of chocolate solids provides the stiffness in the final product. You'll have to experiment with each brand and flavor of milk or white chocolate by adding the enrichment ingredients a little at a time until you find the right balance.

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Want to become expert in working with chocolate in order to create beautiful chocolate bonbons, confections and bars, check out our Professional Chocolatier Program.

Photography by Jessica Washburn, Bliss Chocolatier and Ecole Chocolat