Chocolate is a personal favorite of mine. Not a big surprise, since the past several years have involved me working with it on a daily basis and eating copious amounts of it. When beginning pastry school, I waited eagerly for the chocolate courses and when it came time for my first pastry job I made sure that it involved chocolate (and every job thereafter). My curiosity and passion for it has never changed. People used to ask me how it was that I didn’t weigh a million pounds working with pastry and chocolate. I told them it was because I wasn’t consuming it all day long. Which is true to an extent, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized that I do eat a lot of chocolate. Not quantity wise, but variety. All the different percentages of high quality chocolate, all with different countries of origin, different flavor profiles, and from various companies. Professionally, it was expected of me to know the differences and lucky me for having to try them. Outside of work, during my travels, no trip was successful without a visit to a chocolate shop or touring a chocolate factory. I honestly can’t think of a single plane ride without a box of chocolate being in my hands. Apparently, it has been so ingrained in my adult life that I didn’t even notice. Not a sad revelation to have.
Recently, I had the opportunity to contribute to the online food publication Food52. A fantastic food community that shares excellent recipes, kitchen expertise, and home goods. Of course the recipe I developed to be shared had to do with chocolate. These Silky Chocolate Truffles to be exact. Incredibly smooth and creamy. They are simple and quick to create, with the help of a food processor, and hand rolled in cocoa powder. If the idea of using a food processor seems strange or scary, don’t be afraid. Traditionally, small batches of ganache are normally made using an immersion blender (or a spatula or whisk). Which I also highly recommend and use primarily myself in most cases; however, a food processor works exceptionally well and is completely appropriate to use. It doesn’t require the chocolate to be melted down and it only uses the one bowl. It doesn’t break the food processor blade or damage it in any way (which I feared most when trying it the first time). Unconventional techniques can be scary, but give this different method a try and you’ll see that there was nothing to worry about. Of course, if you don’t have a food processor on hand, just melted down the chocolate and use an immersion blender or spatula to combine. Have fun and experiment with this recipe by adding any of your favorite spices, liqueurs, or roll the pieces in other textures such as chopped nuts or coconut flakes. It’s perfect for an anytime treat, to share with dinner guests, or to gift to a fellow chocolate lover.
Silky Chocolate Truffles
Makes 50-60 truffles
510g high quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate, up to 65%, such as Valrhona or Guittard
412g heavy cream
50g glucose, light corn syrup, or honey (optional)
110g unsalted butter, such as Plugra, cut into small cubes
100g high quality cocoa powder, such as Valrhona, for coating
Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap.
Roughly chop the chocolate into medium sized or smaller pieces and place it in a food processor bowl that is fitted with a stainless steel blade. If using chocolate pistols or chips no need to chop it up, just add it in. Securely fasten on the food processor lid, with the top spout open.
Bring the heavy cream and glucose to a boil (make sure it is a full boil since it needs to very hot to melt down the solid chocolate). Once boiling, turn on the food processor and allow it to pulverize the chocolate a few seconds.
Next, steadily pour the hot cream through the food processor spout and onto the spinning chocolate. If you prefer, you may also stop the food processor and remove the lid. Pour in the hot cream, reattach the lid, and start processing again (with the top spout closed). Allow it to process until it just comes together, but is fully combined. Processing it too long can cause the ganache to become grainy and also incorporates too much air into it, which will take away from its silkiness.
Remove the lid and add in the butter. Process for several seconds to combine and no butter streaks remain. Pour out the ganache into the prepared baking pan and spread out evenly. Allow the ganache to cool and crystallize for up to 24 hours or until set.
When fully set, place the baking pan in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm up the ganache. This will make it easier and cleaner to cut. Remove the ganache from the baking pan and peel off the parchment/plastic wrap. Cut into 1×1 cubes, cleaning your knife after each cut (this keeps them perfectly square and clean). Roll in the cocoa powder and lightly shake to remove the excess powder. Serve truffles at room temperature and enjoy.
Store the truffles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or in the freezer for up to one month.
What is glucose or is that the corn syrup or honey your talking about in the silky truffles? Behind the honey it says optional. If I wanted to use honey how much? This may sound crazy but would I use a measuring cup to get my ounces? Thanks for the hep.
Hi Sue,
Great questions. Glucose is a thick syrup that is used most commonly in professional pastry kitchens and it helps to prevent crystallization (crystallization causes a grainy or gritty texture). The result being a smoother ganache and it also helps to retain moisture (helping it last longer before it goes bad). Since glucose isn’t commonly found in grocery stores, light corn syrup (not high fructose) can be used for similar results. Some people prefer not to use corn syrup, so honey can then be used for similar results. The ganache will just have a honey flavor to it. You may use the same amount for whichever one is chosen. Unfortunately, using a measuring cup will not give you the exact ounces. A small digital food scale is best and will give you the most accurate results. You can find affordable ones at most stores ($10-$20) and they are very useful. Well worth it. Enjoy the truffles, Sue!
Can I totally avoid the use of glucose or corn syrup or honey in this recipe? Will the result be similar?
Hi Pooja! You can omit the invert sugars (glucose, corn syrup, or honey). However, the results of the final texture will be different and the truffles won’t store as long. If you make them without these options, I recommend enjoying them right away.
How long will the truffles last with the added glucose?
Hi Stephanie, glucose will help to extend their shelf life and should last about 5-7 days (if well coated). Since these truffles are not enrobed/sealed in tempered chocolate, they can have a shorter life span.
“Allow the ganache to cool and crystallize for up to 24 hours or until set.”
– But not in the refrigerator before it is set – why not?
Hi Sandra! There are recipes out there that recommend chilling ganache in the refrigerator to speed up the crystallization process, so this is a great question. I don’t recommend chilling ganache for a couple of reasons. Chocolate is hygroscopic and will absorb the moisture and odors from a refrigerator. This moisture will create condensation on the ganache and increase the chances of the chocolate blooming (fat or sugar blooming from the separation of the cocoa butter due to temperature changes). This will affect the final taste and texture of the truffles. Also, refrigerated ganache doesn’t have the same final texture once it returns to room temperature for cutting and rolling in cocoa powder. The moisture from the refrigerator will create an very soft and difficult to handle ganache. Overall, it’s worth the wait to let it set for 24 hours. The final truffle will be silky and just firm enough to hold and bite. However, if you’d prefer to chill the ganache due to time constraints, then feel free to do so! Just be sure to keep it chilled when cutting and storing. The end result will be a little different from this recipe, but will still taste great.
Thank you very much for Your thorough explanation 🙂